A Degeneration in Mass
by Huntington's Bride
Summary: After ME2, Samara finds evidence of another rogue Ardat Yakshi on the loose. The only lead that they have is a damaged woman who had been pulled to the ME universe against her will. Soldier Femshep/Samara
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I haven't written in years. When I was still in school, I had a fan fiction account, and it's testament how long I've abandoned it that I can't even remember the name under which I wrote. But, life changes and sometimes you find yourself returning to old things. Like the urge to go home when things go bad. This I believe is a part of that. **

**I have not played Mass Effect 1 but I am researching it like mad (which was how I found fan fiction again). Quite by chance, I found myself in a position to play the second one on PS3 with the dark horse comic attached. What became a chance to pass time became an escape. The storyline and characters are very good. **

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><p><strong>She screamed as something exploded next to her, throwing her backwards against a metal crate<strong>. The noise had deafened her and dust had blown up into her face, blinding her. Gasping for amidst her panicked breathing, she clawed at her face, desperately trying to get the dirt out of her eyes.

_Is this hell? Have I lived only to die again?_

Another explosion rocked the world close to her forcing her to squint around. Someone was running her way through the dust but she struggled to see more. She tried to get up, wondering if it was a friend or foe but she could not get her legs to work.

_Not now, please... Not now._

Another explosion sent the figure tumbling to the earth. The person fell close to her and was still, a large bulky bag dropping in the dirt. It had a first aid sign on it, causing her to blink, then stumbled forward.

_Please, be alive. Please…_

She struggled to turn the body over, her fingers fumbling to remove the bulky helmet. When she finally managed, she started back – frightened by what she saw. The soldier wasn't human. Not even close. She sat back, oblivious to another explosion that went off not to far from her, staring at the creature. It had a strong mandible, snake like eyes and a reptilian shaped head. It looked… familiar but in that moment of panic she couldn't place it.

Another explosion went off quite close to her, this time bringing home the fact that she _really_ needed to find better cover. She managed to stand up and looked around to see whether she could determine from where the attack was coming from. It was clear that there were two parties fighting each other, but she couldn't decide in which direction she should run. Through the dust, she saw what looked like ruins and decided that it was the best place to be.

Praying that she wouldn't lose her balance, she ran, which was ironic because it was her running which started all her problems.

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><p><strong>Dr. Abigail Gable had always enjoyed running. <strong>It was one of the things that kept her sane through Veterinary School when she used her morning jog to work through her mental notes, plan her days and push away all her uncertainty that she faced for each day. Now, years later when she had her own practice she still used that time for much the same purpose.

It was a time in which she was uninterrupted and a time which was hers and hers alone. Nothing could break her concentration as she allowed her mind to drift in the rhythm of her jogging beat. It was the time of the day that she looked forward the most…

Till she started stumbling.

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><p><strong>She stumbled, but made it to the door and all but fell inside. <strong>Abby crawled out of the doorway and pushed her back against the wall, hoping against all hope that she was safe now. She almost laughed when the thought crossed her mind but stifled it quickly. For a moment, all she could hear was her own breathing, that panicked, raw sound that seemed to scratch in the back of her throat. Pushing herself against the wall she closed her eyes and held her breath, using the moment of silence to listen for any sounds of potential attack.

There was… a sigh. A cough.

Abby's eyes flew open as she scanned the interior and for the first time saw that there was another with her in the building. It was another one of the creatures and it too was huddled, no… _slumped_ against the inner wall of the ruins. When their eyes met, it sneered at her.

"Come to finish me off?"

It took her a full minute to realize that it had spoken. And, it sounded male.

"I…" She struggled, swallowing to get her words out. "No. I didn't. I mean. I don't… I am not a part of this. I don't know what's going on."

The creature chuckled, a rasping sound that seemed to bubble from his chest. "Figures," he said. "Your race rarely does."

She stared at him, shaking. "You… You're hurt," she said, her veterinary instincts not blind to the thing's suffering, causing her to inch closer. "Let me…"

His movement was so quick she barely saw it. Abby whimpered and threw herself back against the wall when the creature pointed a gun at her. He fired two shots and she thought that one of them had hit her for sure when there was a dull thud next to her. When she turned to look she saw an armoured soldier lying next to her, his glass helmet shattered from the shots.

He was human.

Maybe she was on the wrong side.

She forced herself to turn away from him and look at the creature. Pushing herself up, she moved towards him, keeping an eye on the pistol he had lowered to his side. His stiff lip twitched when she stopped close to him but he let her touch his armour. He had been shot in the chest by what appeared to be a heavy weapon. She pulled the cracked armour away with effort and tried to peer inside. When she couldn't see anything she stuck her hand into the hole, immediately earning a sharp growl from the reptile. She startled back and pulled her hand out, cutting her palm on the jagged edges of the armour.

"Warn me," the creature hissed. "Damn it woman."

Abby swallowed and inched closer again. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "My patients don't normally…" _Talk?_ "Protest."

"You're… a doctor?" the creature queried. "Do you have medigel?" He grimaced when she stuck her hand in again but said nothing as she probed his chest.

"Medigel?" It sounded familiar, but then in a way – so did this… thing.

The creature exhaled, said something under his breath. "First aid kit," he said. "Medigel. What kind of a doctor are you?"

_The terrified kind._

"First aid kit," Abby breathed and pulled away. "I'll get it."

She turned to leave but he grabbed her, pulling her back and off balance.

"There is an asari," he breathed. "Out there. You have to find her. If you are a doctor… find her."

"I…" Abby began. "I… Okay." He let her go, and she ran.

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><p><strong>She had gone to the doctor to have a look at her ankles.<strong>

"I don't know if it's anything," she admitted as she sat there, feeling embarrassed because she felt as healthy as she ever had. "But, I stumble. A lot. And sometimes, I'm very tired. Not ill, just tired."

"Have you ever broken your ankles?" The doctor asked clinically. "Played a lot of sports in school? Tore your ligaments?"

She shrugged and made a vague motion with her hand. "Track sports," she said. "Long distance. I've been running my whole life; I've never fallen as much as I do now."

He had thought it over a while. "I'll take some X-rays," he said. "Run some tests. Could be a supplement deficiency, but we'll check to make sure. For now, I suggest taking it easy. I'll see what we'll find. I think you're just pushing yourself too hard. You said you recently opened your own practice…"

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><p><strong>The bag was where she had last seen it.<strong> At first, Abby tried to pick it up, but it was too heavy for her. So, she opened it and dug through its contents. The firing and explosions had died down for now, but the dust was still around her, making her suspect that it had more to do with the environment than the actual fighting. There were bandages in sterile packets and a number of tubes with some strange writing on it. She stared at it for a moment, wondering whether this was the medi-gel the creature spoke of then stuffed it into her lab coat pockets.

_And the asari?_ She wondered, the name itching in her mind. _What is…_

She stared at the fallen creature which had carried the first aid kit and quite suddenly it hit her.

_No,_ she thought. _Never. Surely?_

If what she was thinking was true, it was the biggest joke in the universe.

Looking around her, she ran back to the ruins, hoping that the dust hid her from view. The soldier was still lying on the floor, a dark pool of blood spilling from his broken helmet but she ignored it and went back to the creature which had asked her aid.

"You're a turian," she said as she knelt beside him. "What is this?"

The turian coughed, grinning at her in a feral kind of way. "An attack," he said. "Are you going to do something or stare at me?"

She had to force herself to focus and took the medigel from her pockets. She fumbled to open it, her fingers dumb and unwilling to move in her panic. Her hand was still bleeding where she had cut it on his armour and it made holding onto the packet all the worse.

"Squeeze it," the turian mumbled. "Hell, just squeeze it."

She did, and it popped open. Feeling stupid, she quickly put some on her hand and pushed it into his armour, spreading it over the open would that she had felt. She wanted to ask him whether there might still be a bullet in, but then she decided that his destroyed armour looked more as if it had been burned than broken.

_Plasma weapons. Of course._

She almost giggled but kept her pose as the turian let out a sigh of relief. She could feel the gel tingling where it had touched her hand and, in a moment's inspiration, dabbed some on her cut as well. The bleeding stopped almost immediately, leaving her to stare at the fantastical creature. His breathing seemed to ease immediately, but his eyes drooped as he struggled to remain conscious. He had a thin membrane, much like a snake, that covered his eye. It was fascinating, but she tore her gaze away and got up so that she could look out at the battlefield.

"We… have to get out of here," she pointed out. "We can't stay here." _We? What was she going to do? Carry him?_

The turian's eyes opened as he looked at her. "You have to find the asari," he said and weakly picked up one of the medi-gel tubes she didn't break. "Find her."

"Where?"

She asked without thinking, making the turian laugh with bitter mirth.

"Out there," he said. "Somewhere. You're going to need this."

He put the gel in her hands and pushed her towards the door. She didn't move immediately, staring at him as he slumped against the wall and closed his eyes.

"Is this real?" she queried softly, frowning at him. "Is this... Are you really here?"

The turian opened his eyes and frowned at her, clearly showing on his alien face that he thought she had gone mad.

"Of course," he said. "Aren't you?"

_Good question. _

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN: Thank you for the reviews. I'm not sure if it's practice to reply to them directly? But thank you. **_

**A Waking Dream.**

**She ran out of the ruins like before, keeping her head down and her eyes open for any more soldiers. **The dust storm was losing its intensity, but it still irritated her eyes, whipping her black hair around her head. First, she went back to the first aid kit to get more medigel packs and then she moved on, her brown eyes searching for any signs of life. When she saw a body, she stopped and turned it over, looking to see if she could find the asari or anybody who could be saved. She didn't discriminate between the aliens or the humans, figuring that medigel was good for all of them. One human soldier had died mere seconds after she turned him over, still searching for his wound. He just coughed and died which, to her surprise, didn't upset her as much as she thought it would.

But, then, perhaps she was just in shock.

She found an asari eventually – not sure if it was the one the turian referred to or whether it was another. Still, she stopped by the woman like alien, remembering that the asari had no real gender. She was wedged in between two crates, her face drawn in pain and her hand clutching her middle. When Abby knelt beside her she opened her eyes and stared at her, their brilliant indigo orbs filled with pain and fear.

Abby swallowed and held up her hands quickly before the woman could draw a gun on her.

"I'm here to help," she said. "The... A turian send me to look for you. He was in the ruins."

The asari coughed and winched. "Maon," she breathed. "The bastard."

Barking a laugh, Abby nodded and took out a medigel packet. "Yeah, figures," she said. "I ah... I have to put this on you. I believe."

The asari didn't seem to warm to the idea immediately. "Are you with... the people who... attacked us?" she queried, her eyes never leaving Abby's.

The woman barked a laugh and shrugged. "No," she said truthfully. "I'm in just in a really bad spot at the moment. Will you let me look at you? Can I... Pull you out? I am a doctor."

The asari closed her eyes but leaned into Abby's touch as she reached out and lay a hand on her shoulder. Seeing it as a sign that she should continue Abby moved a bit closer to her, put her hand underneath her arm and pulled her up, half carrying, half dragging her out from between the two crates. The asari bit back a cry in pain, her body stiff as Abby let her sink back to the floor. Now, she could clearly see the dark blue stain on the asari's stomach. Her stomach turned as she remember a Jack Russel that she had had in her surgery. The dog had chances a fox through a mess of barbed wire and had gotten stuck. He struggled so much that it had torn into his stomach and intestines before his owner could get him out. It had taken her a considerably amount of time to fix everything, only to see the dog die of infection a few days later.

Stomach wounds were never pleasant.

Her first instinct was to reach out and start inspecting the wound but she remembered the turian's advice and formulated a weak, but hopefully good question.

"How bad is it?"

The asari barked a laugh. "You tell me."

Abby realized that her hands were shaking, clutching the medigel with just an inch less force than was needed to break it. "I ah... have to look. Please."

The asari's eyes never left hers as she raised an eyebrow and carefully lifted her hand up to reveal her wound. "Knock yourself out," she breathed. "And me too while you're at it."

Abby licked her dry lips, trying very hard to work some moisture back into her mouth. "It... This will hurt," she warned her, not sure if it was even true as she peeled the woman's clothing away from her wound. The wound wasn't from a gun blast as the turian's had been but from a shard of shrapnel that had pierced her abdomen. Abby winched, seeing the dark piece of metal stick out from the woman's stomach. If this was a dog, she would've done an x-ray first to determine the position and extent of the damage. Then, under sedation she would carefully take it out in her surgery where she would be able to deal with any bleeding.

But this woman wasn't a dog and she didn't know if there was any more help coming for her. She looked around but didn't see anything through the dust that blew up around them. She coughed and turned her attention back to the asari.

"What... your name?" The words got stuck in her mouth. "What is your name?" _So much for just reading the collar tag, ga!_ Those indigo eyes seemed to peer right into her as a sense of calm filled her. _It will be alright..._

"Asura," the asari said softly. "Asura Dushkriti."

"Right," Abby breathed. "I'm Abigail, but you can call me Abby. I ah... I have a confession to make."

Asura raised a pained eyebrow and almost smirked. "Doctor, now is not the time," she pointed out.

Abby chuckled to herself and shook her head. "I think it is," she said. "I'm not a human doctor. Or... or even an alien doctor. I do companion animals. Horses. The odd badger, fox... Baby birds. I've never dealt with this before so... I might... I mean..." To her surprise, the asari reached out touched her mouth, briefly – gently.

"What do you have to do?" she queried, her voice steady.

Abby tried to control her fear and sniffed. "Pull this out," she said, motioning to the shrapnel. "You can't walk with it... And, depending on how this skirmish goes, you might have to _run_ pretty soon. I don't trust the quiet. So... So I'm going to pull this out very quickly and then put as much medigel into you as I possibly can."

Asura actually smiled and reached out to squeeze her hand in reassurance. "That sounds like the most fun I've had all day."

Abby almost cried as she took a steadying breath to try and still her hands. "It's certainly the most I've had," she said and blinked, surprised when she felt tears trailing down her grubby cheeks. Asura made a soothing sound and reached up to wipe it away.

"It's okay," she said. "The Goddess has sent you my way Abigail. You can do this."

The strange thing was that suddenly, she felt as if she _could._ Taking note of her steadier hands, Abby took one final breath and then wrapped her fingers around the piece of metal and kept the medigel ready in the other. Keeping eye contact with Asura she took another steadying breath and, as quickly and strongly as she could, pulled the shard out.

The asari bit back a cry, which turned into a sob as she contorted her body. Abby moved quickly putting her knees on the woman's to stop her from curling up and pushing her down even as she pushed the first tube of medigel into the wound and squeezed it as hard as she could. Asura hissed when the gel oozed into her body her indigo eyes bright as she looked up at the sky.

"By the Goddess," she breathed. "You like it rough."

Abby blinked embarrassed and continued to put the second tube into Asura's wound. The asari had forced herself to relax and was lying very still, breathing heavily as she continued to look at the sky. When Abby put the third packet of gel in she reached out and took the vet's hand.

"That's enough," she said, her voice strained with pain. "Thank you Abigail."

The woman nodded, her whole body shaking with adrenaline. When she saw Asura try to push herself up she reached out and rested her hands on her shoulders to keep her down. "Just give it a bit to work," she whispered. "Please." She remembered how the medigel had stopped the bleeding on her own hand and glanced at it, amazed to see that it already looked like a two day old wound. _This stuff works fast..._

"There's no time," Asura breathed through her nose and quite suddenly cupped Abby's face with her hands. "Thank you for helping me Abigail, I think that you have saved my life." Her touch was surprisingly warm and soothing. Abby felt the same calm wash over her that she had felt just before she pulled out the shrapnel and blinked, her gaze suddenly unwilling to focus on the asari.

"I owe you," the asari continued. "And for that, I will give you the greatest gift I can. My touch." There was a note of regret in her voice and quite suddenly her pupils dilated and a faint blue glow started dancing around her hands. "You see Abigail, I have made a mistake. I told you my name and for that – I cannot let you walk away from here. It will be beautiful. You'll see."

Somewhere deep inside her, Abby knew that she had to scream, that she had to protest against what this woman was about to do, but all she could feel, all she could think about was the pleasant warmth as it spread about her person. Even when it became an intimate pleasure did she not protest, her breathing short as tears streamed down her cheeks.

_What is this?_

Asura leaned forward and planted a light kiss on her lips, the pleasure threatening to turn her body on firte.

"I'm sorry," the alien breathed. _"Embrace eternity!" _

The warmth became a wave which rushed up and fell over her, crushing her, enlightening her.

Killing her.

**The End of Chapter 2**

_Coming - Chapter 03: The Justicar_


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN: Again, thank you for the reviews. A salute to **_Hopelessly Blue _**who provided quite a convincing argument as to why I should post this quickly. I'll confess, I struggled with this chapter. I believe Samara to be an infinitely complex character and it felt hard to capture that on paper. But, I have been reassured that it becomes easier with practice. Enjoy. **_

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><p><strong>The Justicar<strong>

'_**A hundred and twenty three days, two hours and sixteen minutes since I killed my daughter,'**_Samara thought as she stared at the stars drifting past the windows of the Starboard Observation Room in the Normandy SR2. _'Fifteen days and eight hours since I should've left this ship.' _

She sighed and let go of her biotics, watching the pathetic blue ball that she had kept above her hands die. She had not been able to meditate tonight, her mind in turmoil for all the choices that she had to make and have already made. Some days her choices seemed easy, right. When you lived to be a thousand you learned quickly not to let regret rule you. But then other days, she could not help but wonder if she had made the right ones for herself and others.

And then there was the _other _matter.

It was time for her to leave the Normandy. She had done what she had promised, helping Shepard to travel through the Omega 4 Relay and attack the Collectors in their home base. It had been a feat that she had not seen in her millennia of life but then again, Shepard was like no other she had ever met. In all the years that she had lived, no face had shined as clearly as that of Jane Shepard. She had stirred up emotions in the Justicar she had not thought she could still feel. Samara blamed it on her vulnerability; on the rawness that killing Morinth had left on her soul. Not a moment went by that she did not think of her daughter but when she was with Shepard, that pain dimmed.

That was why she had not yet left, why she was stalling in retracting the Oath she had given to Shepard and continuing with her own Code.

The Justicar's Code.

Sighing again, Samara was about to push herself up when she heard the polite beep of EDI, the ship's artificial intelligence. It intrigued her that the AI seemed to treat her with some semblance of respect. The beep was her way of 'knocking' – something she didn't do with the other crew members. And, she had the savvy not to bother Samara when she was meditating.

"You may speak EDI," she said simply, keeping her hands on her knees and her gaze turned to the stars. Her daughter had loved staring at the stars when she was younger... _Stop it_.

"I'm sorry to trouble you Justicar," the AI said formally, her tone polite and almost apologetic. "But, I have intercepted a message that I thought might interest you."

Raising an eyebrow, Samara turned to the console where the AI normally appeared. When she looked there, EDI flashed to life. "What is it?" she queried, thinking that the holographic pin points also looked like tiny stars.

"I intercepted a distress call from a planet on the other side of the system an hour ago," EDI started. "A band of turians running combat tests had a run in with some Blue Suns and Eclipse mercenaries. They were outnumbered very quickly."

Frowning, Samara pushed herself up so that she could step up to the console to look at the AI 'face to face' so to speak. "Why do you only tell us of this now?" she queried. "And, have you told Shepard? If it happened an hour ago, it's too late to send a rescue team."

If EDI had shoulders, she would've shrugged. "By my calculations we would've already been too late, considering the strength of the mercenary numbers and the level of skill that two bands would show. It would've been a waste of time."

_Not for the dead,_ Samara thought bitterly and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why are you telling me this?" she queried. "If you have clearly deemed it to be none of our concern."

She wasn't sure if she imagined it, but the AI seemed to hesitate for just a split second. "A second message that I have intercepted hinted to the presence of a rogue Ardat Yakshi and there is strong evidence to suggest that she was the reason the mercenaries attacked. This is why I believe this information concerns you Justicar."

Her first, instinctive reaction was to ask EDI call her daughters immediately. To date she had not done so from the ship as she didn't want to let Cerberus know of their location. In the crew, only Shepard knew that she had had three daughters and only a handful of them knew that Morinth had been her own. She immediately quelled the urge, choosing to turn her gaze back to the window and the stars beyond. When she didn't' speak for a long time, EDI carefully prompted her.

"Should I inform Commander Shepard of this matter?"

_And give me a chance to kill another one of my daughters? Or someone else's?_

"I'll do so EDI," she said and turned to the door. "Thank you for telling me. You did the right thing."

The AI misunderstood her and replied nonchalantly.

"Of course Justicar, that is what I was programmed to do."

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><p><strong>She paused in front of the Captain's Cabin, carefully touching the cool iron of the door.<strong> She had the Commander had not had a lot of time to talk since they came back from the Omega 4 Relay. Shepard had been busy trying to convince the Alliance and the Council of what they had seen. Against all the odds, her experiences were dismissed and even Councilman Udina had dismissed her claims as fantasy. It puzzled Samara to no end that, despite everything Shepard had done for the Council and humanity that they still did not take her seriously.

When the door opened, Samara stepped in carefully, her gaze searching for the Commander. She was seated at her desk, a data pad open in front of her and her auburn hair somewhat messed up as if she had been running her hands through them in either irritation or worry. But, she still smiled when she turned to welcome Samara, her green eyes searching the Justicar's face.

Their last meeting had been… intense.

'_I have been thinking,' _Shepard had said when she came to her, her gaze more intense than usual._ 'And you don't have to leave. We fight the Collectors, we're protecting humanity. This could be a part of your code.' _

She had looked at Shepard sadly, knowing that although she was a very enlightened woman, she was still very young and did not see the bigger picture. _'I have to go Shepard,'_ she said simply. _'I cannot follow my code here but, please know - You may call on me for aid at any time,'_she had promised the woman_. 'I will come for you Shepard.''_

"Samara," Shepad said when she stood up. "I've been meaning to come and talk to you but I have been…"

"Busy," Samara finished for her, allowing herself a small smile. "I understand Commander, you have a lot on your mind."

Shepard chuckled bitterly and motioned Samara to the couches on the lower level of her room. "Everybody has," she said. "I claim no exception. Can I get you anything..." She trailed off when Samara held up her hand.

"No," she said quickly. "Another time perhaps but I must discuss something urgent with you."

The woman's eyes became cautious. She was so used to people asking her suicidal favours that she approached any request with a decent amount of hesitation. But, she nodded and smiled at Samara, urging her not by words but by her silence to speak further.

"EDI came to me with a report," she said. "Saying that there is an Ardat Yakshi on a planet quite close to here. Some mercenaries attacked it, undoubtedly to capture her. As you have witnessed, they can be formidable weapons." She hesitated. "I... would like to investigate this matter. If it is convenient, I would appreciate it if you take me there."

Shepard blinked and touched her face as she was in the habit of doing, tracing an unseen line from her ear to her cheek. "And leave you?" the Commander queried surprised.

Samara made sure to keep her face neutral. "If that is what you wish," she said. "I realize that this cannot take up your time."

Jane shook her head immediately, making her hair stand even more on end. "No," she said. "We don't need to leave you. I would be interested to see where this leads; we have nothing pressing to do at the moment. And I think the crew would appreciate the distraction. EDI?"

"Present Shepard," the AI toned. "Should I tell Jeff to plot a course?"

Jane's mouth thinned ever so slightly at the thought that EDI had been listening in on their conversation. "Ask him," she said. "Nicely. And tell Miranda to meet me in the briefing room so that we can review the situation."

"Of course," the AI said. "Logging you out Shepard."

The Commander sighed at her words and gave Samara a miserable look. "I'm never sure if she's really gone," she pointed out. "But, I have to trust all of my crew members, right?" Her face became a little bit more serious. "Do you think it is one of your daughters?"

Samara shook her head, still keeping her expression neutral even though her heart tightened. "I doubt," she said. "They are... content in their seclusion."

"As you are content with your code?" The moment she said it, a look of pure regret crossed Jane's features and she almost reached out to touch the Justicar but hesitated and dropped her head. "Samara I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded."

Sighing deeply, Samara nodded slowly and briefly reached out and touched Jane's shoulder. "I know," she said softly. "Thank you for helping me with this Jane, I appreciate it."

The Commander nodded, keeping her face neutral but allowing a touch of warmth to reach out to Samara in her voice. "That's what friends are for Samara," she said slowly and turned to a portrait that was lying face down on her desk. "To help each other, where others won't..."

**The End of Chapter 3**

_Coming soon – Chapter 4: Balance_


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN: Again, a thank you to all the readers and thank you especially for the reviews. It is appreciated. **_

**Balance **

**She remembered screaming.** A hoarse, dark sound that tore itself from her body as it was being ripped apart by a pleasure unlike any she had ever felt before. Then, when her voice itself died and her senses disappeared, she found herself wishing against all hope that this was not the end.

That would've made her laugh if she could.

The silence was like a void, but then – she heard a voice, surprised, shocked. Ecstatic.

"You're alive," a breathed whispered. "How can it be? You're alive..." Someone briefly touched her face but she could not open her eyes to see. "By the Goddess," the person whispered, her voice now sounding more familiar. "I have to take you with me…"

Something pushed itself underneath her as she became aware of her breathing, a ragged sound that sliced through her throat. She could now taste the dust in her mouth, feel the dirt that clogged her nose. Her eyes stung and, when the person tried to lift her, she moaned and tried to move away, the touch too painful to bear.

"Damn it," the person whispered. _Asura, it was Asura._ "They're coming. I'll find you Abigail, I promise."

She opened her eyes to see a figure retreat into the hazy dust. Then, she heard more voices shouting behind her and saw a brief flash of gunfire. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to slip back. Away.

It was, after all what she had wanted from the beginning…

* * *

><p><strong>It was very clear that the Turians had not given up ground without a fight. <strong>Shepard, Samara and Garrus walked through the remains of what appeared to be a turian supply and military camp. Garrus's eyes were bright as he scanned the bodies of his brethren.

"This was only a small platoon," he pointed out, turning the one body over so that he could study the turian's facial markings. "We used to come here and run simulations when I was still in C-Sec. The planet offers a variety of challenging weather conditions." He pointed to some dark clouds on the horizon. "Dust storms, thunderstorms – practically no rain. It's a wonder Krogan's haven't settled in yet, they _like_ this sort of thing."

Shepard smiled slightly, thinking about Tuchanka. "I think the mercenaries came in fast," she said and motioned to the destruction around them. "Thrown charges, confusion…" She motioned around her. "They kept them pinned here between the crates and picked them off." She sighed and rubbed her brow to get some sweat out of her face. "I hesitate to ask who we should inform of this incident." She paused and activated her radio. "EDI, who else has responded to this emergency call?"

"_My long range scanners have picked up both a Turian and an Alliance vessel closing in,_" the AI said in her radio. "_The Alliance should be here in fifty four minutes, the Turians in seventy three." _

Shepard nodded and turned to Samara who was walking around the bodies, turning each of them over with a look of concentration on her face. She spent a particular amount of time with one human who had been stripped of his armour. Her mouth thinned when she straightened up and looked at Shepard.

"This man has been killed by an Ardat Yakshi," she said simply. "But, his armour was removed post mortem. I presume that he was one of the mercenaries and that his people did not want their presence to be known." She frowned. "Though why they would leave this one body goes beyond me."

Shepard didn't want to speculate but continued to look around the ruins. "I think it's safe to assume that the Ardat Yakshi was taken by the mercenaries," she said. "Let's look for survivors and go – I don't fancy running into the Alliance today." Her tone was bitter, telling her crew members that she was _still_ angry with Udina and the Council. "EDI, is there a way to find out where the vessels that left here went?"

"_I am searching Shepard." _

"Shepard!"

Both she and Samara looked up to see Garrus motioning them over to a bunch of old ruins. "Here's one alive!"

Looking at each other, the two women ran towards him. In the ruins, Garrus was kneeling over a young Turian, his face lined with concentration as he used his omni-tool to scan the soldier. "He took a shot to the chest," he said. "Luckily the poor bastard had some medigel with him. _Hey!"_ He patted the turian's face. "Come on, Shepard – take his gun. I'd hate for him to wake up shooting. Come on buddy, rise and shine."

The turian stirred. When his eyes opened slowly he shuddered and sat up, instinctively grasping around for the gun Shepard had taken from him. She moved quickly, putting her hand on his.

"Easy," she said – her voice steady and calm. "You are in no danger. I am Commander Shepard."

She waited for the turian to focus on her, his eyes puzzled as he tried to sit up, with a nasty sounding curse. Garrus snorted and shook his head, pushing the young turian down.

"You're in the presence of two decent women soldier," he said. "Mind what you say. I am Garrus Vakarian, who are you?"

Grimacing, the turian allowed himself to be pushed back to the ground. "Maon," he said. "Maon Gladius. Why are you here?"

Shepard shared a look with Garrus who shook his head ever so slightly, telling her that he didn't know the turian. "We responded to your distress call," she pointed out. "It said you were attacked by mercenaries?"

"Blue Suns and Eclipse," Maon confirmed - his face tight with pain as he once again tried to sit up. "Please Garrus Vakarian, let me sit up – it's easier to breath." Shepard moved quickly and, with Garrus's help let the turian prop himself up against the wall. Samara, who had been looking at him with an inexpressive expression on her face, took a step closer and hunched down in front of them.

"There was an asari here," she said smoothly. "Where did she go?"

Maon's eyes grew cautious when he looked at Samara. Upon meeting her intense gaze, he dropped his own and pushed his one hand into his side. "I don't know where she went," he said – not bothering to deny that he knew about her. "We lost her in the battle."

Samara's eyes narrowed. "Dead or lost?" she queried. "Where is her body?"

"Lost," the turian said, still not looking at her. "I can't tell you more." He hesitated. "But, there is someone who can."

"Who?" Shepard asked, subtly motioning to Samara to let her talk, worried that the Justicar might react a bit more extreme than was necessary in this situation. "And, do you know her name?"

"No," Maon said immediately. "She never said. There was a human here, I don't know where she came from…" He took a painful breath. "She said she was a doctor, she was the one who got me some medigel. I send her to look for survivors. I was… providing cover. She found the asari. It seemed that they knew each other. I'm not sure what happened though, but then the mercenaries closed in and managed to capture the woman." He turned to Shepard. "They took her with them. My guess is that – she must have something worth knowing, otherwise they wouldn't have bothered."

Shepard raised an eyebrow and glanced at Garrus who shrugged. When she turned to Samara, she could see that the Justicar was still frowning at the turian.

"Are you lying to us?" she queried evenly. "I sense hesitance in your tale."

"Lady," the turian breathed. "I've just had _the_ most shittiest day in my entire life. I've been shot and I suspect that my friends are all dead. All of them. If there is hesitation in my voice I _apologize_ but I am trying very hard to deal with what just happened and breathe at the same time."

Samara made to comment but Shepard moved in between the two of them quickly. "That's alright Maon," she said. "I understand. Tell me, did your equipment get a reading on the ship's signature?"

Maon nodded and motioned to Garrus to help him up. The big turian carefully hauled him to his feet and pulled his arm on his uninjured side over his shoulders so that he could keep him up. "If we've picked up anything it should be in our monitoring station's log," he said. "I'll take you there."

* * *

><p><strong>She was staring at a dim light above her head, her eyes dry and grainy, wondering if the stale air had anything to do with her headache. <strong>Swallowing, tasting the grit in her mouth, Abby pushed herself up, looking around confused as she tried to puzzle out where she was. _Home? The clinic?_

She stared at the iron door and then at her dirty, previously white, coat. _No,_ she thought when she saw the dark stains on it. _In a video game._ She closed her eyes, wondering whether she should laugh or cry. Her face felt stiff and when she wiped her hand over it, dark black flakes came loose, standing out on her already dirty hands.

_Dry blood. The asari's blood._

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment when she remembered what she had felt moments before she lost consciousness. She didn't know _what_ that was but she knew that she never wanted to feel like that again. Not with a complete stranger.

Not even with a lover.

Seeing two buckets in the small, dirty room she got up hesitantly and went to investigate their contents. To her relief one was filled with relatively clean water which she quickly used – without contaminating the rest – to wash her face and hands. Then, she drank deeply, clearing her mouth and throat of all the dust which had settled in it. She inspected the other bucket but found that it was empty.

_Probably to be used for… that…_ she thought and sighed, looking around again. She considered calling out for help, but wasn't sure if she wanted to meet anybody else. Considering the conditions that she was kept in, she hardly expected these people to be friendly. _This definitively is hell,_ she thought bitterly and stood up again, running her hands through her dirty hair. _Serves me right for thinking that I can take the easy way out._

Moving to stand underneath the dim light, she looked at her hand to inspect the cut on her palm. As far as she could tell, it was completely healed, which amazed her to no end. _I could use this medigel in the clinic,_ she thought amused as she studied the fresh scar. _Just think of… Wait a second…_ She stared at her hand, then – raised the other. She stared at both of them and quickly reached up to touch her nose. Then, she stuck out her tongue, raised her arms and stood on one leg, counting the time she managed to keep her balance.

She reached a slow twenty when the door opened suddenly, startling her. Abby stumbled as she jumped back, accidentally knocking over the bucket of water, spilling it into her trainers. There were two aliens were standing in the doorway, their silhouettes dark against the brighter light of the corridor outside. A four eyed batarian looked from her to the floor, his face twisting in disgust as he watched the bucket roll to the other side of the room.

"You can always tell your species comes from a planet filled with water," he intoned in his strange sounding voice. "Because you have absolutely no respect for it."

The other alien, an asari in a bright yellow suit of armour stepped into the room, her gaze intent on Abby's face. "That's not really our concern right now Jazek," she said and smiled at Abby. "Water can be found everywhere if you look for it. Ardat Yakshi on the other hand… Well… They are a bit harder to pin point. Isn't that right?" Her last was clearly directed at Abby, who sensed immediately that these people weren't the sort that she wanted to spend too much time with.

"I… I don't know what you mean," she said. "I don't know… I'm just…"

"Hush," the asari said and smiled, stepping closer till she had Abby pinned in the corner. "We don't like it if people waste our time so we'll keep this short. Where will your friend go to next? Who is she?"

Abby blinked at her, her heart thundering in her chest as she spared a fleeting glance at the door. "I… I don't know what you're talking about," she said again. "I don't know the asari. I don't."

The batarian lifted up his gun in a fluid motion, pointing it directly at her head.

"Wrong answer."

**The End of Chapter 4**


	5. Chapter 5

_**AN: A nod to **_Bacon is Delicious _**who threatened me with Incineration if I didn't update soon. **_

**Negotiations. **

**When the scanners told him that the Normandy had left their orbit, he closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.** Below the make shift office of the training area and data collection centre he could see the few remaining survivors of the attack stir. One in particular drew his attention as the figure half ran, half limped towards the building. He knew who it was immediately and went outside to meet her. They embraced in relief, but she drew away quickly.

The other occupants on the colony knew her as simply Jenny, but he was among the few who had the privilege to know her real name. And, the only reason he knew it was because she knew he would rather die than give it up to anybody.

"Do you know who that was?" They asked at the same time, then blinked and smiled at each other briefly.

"You go first," Asura muttered, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Who was that?"

"Garrus Vakarian!" The young turian exclaimed, his eyes wide as he stared at the asari. "And, Commander Shepard. _The_ Commander Shepard. They answered the distress call! It's true, she's still alive! That's..." He cut off what he was saying and grimaced in pain, clutching his chest. He also didn't miss the dark blood that stained her clothes or the way she kept her one arm a pressed against her middle. "Epic..." he finished lamely. "What's wrong?"

The asari's eyes were troubled when she looked at him, her skin pale from blood loss. "The asari with her was a Justicar," she breathed. "Samara. She's... legendary – much more than this human Shepard. If she is after me... I'm surprised she didn't find me or that they stayed to look."

Maon frowned, studying her. "I put them on a wild goose chase," he said. "The woman that was here, the one who helped you? I saw her taken by the mercs. I made it sound as if she might know something about you, that way – they'll chase her down. That's why they left so quickly because they have to catch up with the merc ship." He paused. "It... also felt right. She helped us – a lot of us."

Asura didn't seem reassured as she looked through the window. "Do you think that they'll find her?" she queried softly. "You know that you lied to a Justicar right? Just so that we're clear on that."

Maon shrugged, still studying her features. "If anybody can it is Shepard and Garrus Vakarian," he pointed out. "That will get them off of your tail."

Chuckling bitterly, Asura sank down to the ground, clutching her stomach as she looked up at the turian. "She knows my name," she pointed out. "But... They have to find her; I can't do it – not with my current resources." She sighed and rubbed her brow, motioning inside the building again. "Radio for help again, somebody needs to come and help you. I'm so sorry about all of this."

He nodded slowly, studying her. "Where will you go from here?" he queried but she smiled and shook her head as she pushed herself up gingerly.

"You know I can't tell you," she said. "Otherwise, I would have to kill you."

* * *

><p>"<strong>Answering a distress call is one thing Commander," <strong>Miranda Lawson said with an irritated wave of her hand when she cornered her in the debriefing room. "But, going on this wild goose chase? The Normandy is not a crusading joy ride."

Despite the woman's tone, Jane Shepard had to smile. It was the most life she had seen in Miranda in two weeks. Ever since they attacked the Collector's base and cut their ties with the Illusive Man, the woman had been a wandering ghost. Distracted, nervous and irritable, Jane suspected that she – more than any of the other crew members, felt the loss of their Cerberus back up. She _believed_ in Shepard and her cause, but she had trusted Cerberus. Just as Jane had always trusted the Alliance to do the right thing for her, Miranda had looked to the terrorist group with much the same feelings. To move away from that, away from the security and approval of people she had looked up to was hard for Jane and she imagined it was like that with Miranda and the Illusive Man. She had come to Shepard after their return from the Omega 4 Relay and had solemnly said that if the commander would rather have somebody else as her second in command she would understand.

"_We're not with Cerberus anymore,"_ she had said, as if the sentence was a seal of her fate. _"So, you don't __have__ to keep me around anymore. I will step down willingly." _

Shepard had laughed at her outright and, if their relationship was of that nature, she'd have hugged the woman. As it were, she merely walked past her and rested a hand on her shoulder, enjoying the look of absolute surprise on Miranda's features when she said.

"_Just because you don't have to spend all of your time writing reports anymore doesn't mean that I don't have any need for you. Besides, I like to keep a close eye on people who have seen me naked as much as you have." _

She left the flustered ex-Cerberus officer in her room and smiled for the whole day, wondering what innuendos the high strung woman was making up for herself. But, despite pulling Miranda's leg on the subject, she had meant what she said. She needed her. Miranda's heart was in the right place and her desperation to try and live down her genetic history made her a thorough and calculating crew member. She was ten times harder on herself than she was on anybody else and Shepard knew without a doubt that she would pull through every time. It was why she had trusted her to lead the second team into the Collector's base.

Because she was that good at keeping people alive.

She was also however; pretty good and providing opposition when the right subject matter presented itself and today was no exception.

"It's hardly a joy ride Miranda," she said levelly. "As of now, it's a rescue mission."

The woman glowered at her and crossed her arms. "If that's your excuse fine," she pointed out. "But, who's going to pay for it?"

Shepard smiled and shrugged. "I will," she said. "As I have been paying for most of this mission. The Illusive Man's funds have been meagre to say the least. I can tell you now that we'll hardly see a difference in our cash flow." It was something that had amused her non-human crew to no end that _she_ had to fund most things out of the credits that she collected herself and the compensation people gave her for services rendered.

Miranda looked as if she wanted to argue, her perfectly shaped mouth very thin in an attempt to hold back her displeasure. She sighed and shook her head.

"I just... don't believe this is important Commander," she said. "I mean it is but... There's a bigger problem out there than one kidnapped human."

Jane raised an eyebrow and stood back a little, studying her XO. "As small a problem as one threatened sister is?" she queried softly, expecting the surprise and embarrassment that flashed across Miranda's face.

"I... That's... I'm sorry Commander, you're right." She made to turn for the door but Jane stepped to her and briefly rested a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not about me being right Miranda," she said softly, kindly. "And, I know that we're all pretty overwhelmed by the size of the threat that we've encountered. That's why I think it's good if we give the crew something to focus on that's a little _smaller_ to deal with. Something a little less life threatening. We'll go in, save this woman and then carry on fighting the Reapers or whatever other threat crosses our way. That's why I'm doing this, because we might not be able to stop the Reapers from attacking our galaxy, or get back all of the lives stolen by the Collectors, but we can change this woman's life for the better."

Miranda smiled at her, but subtly moved away from her touch. "I'll come along," she said. "Are we negotiating with them?"

Jane smiled and stepped away from Miranda, giving her the space that she needed. "Naturally," she said and turned to the schematic of the mercenary ship that floated above the table. "I am all for negotiations."

* * *

><p><strong>Staring at the barrel of the gun, Abby decided promptly that this was by far the worst day of her life.<strong> It had started with a kitten, a tiny little ginger cat that its owner had gotten from Cat's Rescue. By all right, it should've been a routine examination, one that she had done hundreds of ever since her time in vet school. But, she had gotten up tired, a sure sign that it was going to be a bad day. She had already dropped two cups of coffee by the time she started seeing patients and had to cancel a surgery because her hands were just shaking too much.

The cat was the final straw, she had not been able to hold onto it and it escaped. Her staff and the frantic owner had spent a good ten minutes chasing it around the surgery while she stood there, distraught. When they finally caught the cat, and her assistant took over the examination, she retreated to the toilet and cried her heart out. Nothing that her staff members could say to her made the day any better. Everything, every dropped piece of equipment, every stumble and the growing sense of fatigue only served to prove what she had been feeling for a while.

That this was not the way she wanted to carry on.

It was strange then that, as she stared at the batarian, she felt a sense of true fear for her life. Almost as if it was worth something here, in this place.

"Look," she said and took a step back, pressing her back against the wall. "I really don't know what you are talking about. I helped an asari yes, but I helped the turians and humans as well. I'm just... just a medic."

The batarian Jazek made to take a step closer but the asari motioned him back, her eyes bright as she turned a small smile on Abby.

"I don't believe you," she said. "My men saw her try to pick you up and she killed the first two that came near you. So – if you didn't know her, why would she do that?"

Abby closed her eyes, trying to push away the memory of the way Asura touched her. "I saved her life," she whispered. "And then... Then I think she tried to kill me. We're not friends, you have to believe me."

The blow came so quickly she didn't see it till she felt it. Shocked, her cheek stinging and her one eye watering from pain, Abby gaped at the asari mercenary as her hand travelled to her face. Nobody had _ever_ done something like that to her.

Nobody.

"Don't think me a fool human," the asari said in a low voice. "If she tried to kill you, you would be dead. Nobody survives the touch of an Ardat Yakshi. Nobody. Whatever show you two tried to pull failed. Now, tell me where she is going."

"I don't have to shoot her in the head Fedora," Jazek growled. "Humans squeal when they are in pain."

The asari snorted and shook her head. "There are more subtle ways of getting what you want Jazek," she said and turned to look at Abby. "I'm giving you one more chance human. Tell me where the asari is going and what your association with her is. My methods of negotiation may not be as crude as Jazek's, but they can be ten times as unpleasant."

Not liking the sound of it, Abby took a deep breath – thinking that she should just tell them Asura's name and be done with it. But, something made her hesitate. She didn't know why, but she found the name die on her tongue as she stared at the two aliens threatening her. "I don't know what you want," she said. "I can't give you more than I know."

Fedora smiled at her and, without warning, brought her knee up and pushed it into Abby's midriff. When the woman fell to the floor coughing, the asari seized her head, pressing her fingers into her temples.

"That's what you think," she whispered as her eyes went black. _"Embrace eternity..."_

**The End of Chapter 5**

_Coming – Chapter 6: The Flow of Information._


	6. Chapter 6

_**AN: No reviews last chapter. Oh dear...**_

**Flow of Information. **

"**It's in moments like this," **Joker said as he looked through the window in front of him. "That I absolutely _love_ the Normandy."

"Why, thank you Mr. Monroe," EDI said from her console but the pilot rolled his eyes.

"Talking about you, not to you," he said simply and turned to Shepard who was standing behind him in her armour. "We're still running silent Commander; they haven't picked us up on any of their scanners. The only way they'll see us now is if they turn around and face us head on."

Shepard smiled and glanced back at Samara who was waiting by the airlock, her eyes focused on the ship with a look of intense concentration. "Or look in their rear view mirror," Jane joked. "EDI, have you hacked their communication system?"

"Ready to log you in on command Shepard," the AI said. "I have also hacked their security systems. It is a standard freighter but they've had work done to their engines and weapons. Probability of their ship being a match for ours is 0.06%. It shows fifty six life signs on board. Quite a few are human but it's impossible to determine where this hostage will be."

Sharing a look with Miranda, Shepard smiled. "Then we'll just ask them." She said. "Now that we know so much about them, let's tell them a little about us..."

* * *

><p><strong>Abby was so focused on taking deep breaths to get her wind back that she never had a chance to resist.<strong> She felt a sinking sensation as Fedora stared at her, her black eyes pulling her in deep. Her touch was completely different than Asura's, like a gentle tug in comparison to a raging river that the other asari had flushed through her.

Still, she didn't like it.

She tried to pull away, but could not immediately get her muscles to work. Fedora's fingers pressed painfully into her temples, her face lined with concentration.

_Let me go._

She didn't say the words immediately, but thought them as Fedora's face turned into a frown. When she didn't let go, Abby gathered up all her strength and jerked out of her grasp.

"Let me go!" She breathed and pushed the alien away. "Don't touch me."

The asari gasped when they broke contact and sat back hard, her gaze struggling to regain its focus. Behind her, Jazek growled and stepped in between them, his gun aimed at Abby's face. He looked ready to fire, but the asari gathered herself and tapped Jazek's leg.

"Don't," she said. "Don't be rash."

The batarian sneered when he turned to his companion who pushed herself up gingerly. "Did you get what you needed?" he asked before he looked back to Abby who was still kneeling on the floor. Fedora didn't answer immediately, her eyes showing a little bit more caution when she looked at Abby. She had her hand on the pistol on her side and was tracing her fingers over it as if she considered using it.

"We have to..."

"_This is the Normandy SR-2, calling out to the freighter, serial code FG 793.21.3. Can anybody pick up this line?" _

"What the hell?" Jazek snapped. "Is that you're maiden playing with the com lines again? That voice program is really irritating." Fedora's eyes narrowed, her gaze still fixed on Abby.

"Go find out," she snapped. "I'll be right there."

The call came again. _"This is the Normandy SR-2, calling out to the freighter, serial code FG 793.21.3. Can anybody pick up this line? I'm not going to ask nicely again." _

The batarian frowned at her, but quickly left the room, leaving the asari behind.

Abby's mouth had gone dry for she recognized the voice and ship immediately. _Commander Shepard,_ she thought. _If this isn't a hoax, Commander Shepard is out there… Please let it be to save me and not ask for directions… Please. _

Fedora knelt in front of her again, her amber eyes staring into Abby's. "You don't seem significant at all," she whispered, her voice threatening. "You cower, and babble. You're a _human_ for crying out loud – yet you... resist me. Who trained you?"

Abby frowned at her and shifted back, staring at the door that was still open. "I really don't know what you're talking about," she said in the same low voice that Fedora had used. "I am just a medic who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. If the other asari had any business with me it was her own. I don't know."

Fedora smiled slightly and reached up to push some hair out of Abby's face. "I think I know why she showed an interest in you," she murmured. "A theory and a bizarre one at that…"

"_FEDORA!" _

Jazek's voice was filled with anger which was quickly met by Fedora's own as she turned to the intercom. "If I didn't need his guns I would shoot him myself," she muttered and pushed herself up. "But I take it…"

Abby moved quickly, quicker than she thought she could. Catching Fedora by surprise, she pushed into her, ramming her shoulder into the asari's chest and bearing her to the ground. Even as the asari recovered, she grabbed her pistol and yanked it from her side. Then she pushed herself away and stood up quickly, aiming the gun at Fedora's head, hoping that it was loaded and not on safe because she wouldn't know how to check if it wasn't.

"I'll take this," she said, her voice shaking even though she immediately noticed that her hands weren't. "And then... Then you're going to ask your Jazek to call up Commander Shepard and tell her to come and get me."

The asari's face was surprisingly calm. "So, you're with them?" she queried and slowly pushed herself up. "Or are you with Cerberus?" Abby took a step back, her mouth dry with fear.

"I told you," she whispered. "I'm just..."

Two guards which she had not anticipated leapt into the room firing. Abby instinctively threw her arms to protect her face but was struck in her thigh. As her leg gave way, Fedora rushed to her, grabbed her pistol and then slammed her into the wall with her biotic force. It all happened in a matter of seconds.

Abby never stood a chance.

As she lay on the floor, her teeth clenched in pain as she pressed her hands into her thigh, Fedora snorted and motioned to her guards.

"Take her to the storage level and put her in one of the boxes," she snapped. "We might have visitors and I don't want them to find her. I'm not done with this one yet."

Abby tried to move back as they came for her but she knew that she wouldn't get away. Not really. They grabbed her roughly and half carried, half dragged her out of the room.

_This is what happens if you try to be Lara Croft,_ she thought bitterly as she watched Fedora leave the room as well and talk on her omni-tool to Jazek.

_You fail._

* * *

><p>"<strong>It is always a pleasure and an honour to have a Spectre onboard,"<strong> Fedora said smoothly as she walked with Commander Shepard on their ship's command deck. "Unlike some of the fractions within our alliance, Jazek and I keep on good terms with the Council. It makes trading so much easier."

Jane raised an eyebrow and glanced at her two companions, Mordin and Miranda. She had asked Samara to remain behind, knowing that the Eclipse asari might get nervous in the presence of a Spectre.

"Co-operation is always appreciated," Shepard said smoothly. "Not everybody always adheres to Act 36H of the system's Registar."

Fedora snorted and shrugged. "You mean that all Spectres have the right to inspect any cargo in Council space?" she queried. "Some people feel that it is an invasion of privacy but I feel it is a necessary evil that improves future relationships."

Shepard could tell that Miranda was having trouble keeping her face neutral, her blue eyes sharp as she glanced at the batarian who was staring at them from across the ship's console. "And your second in command?" she queried. "He doesn't seem too pleased to have us here."

Fedora chuckled softly, shaking her head as she motioned to Mordin to walk ahead of them down the stairs to the second level. "He lacks the insight that comes with a short life span," she said. "That is why we are in business together because I make things work for him."

"And what do you get in return?" Shepard queried, watching as a look of irritation came and went across Fedora's features.

"A comrade in arms," Fedora pointed out. "One that I know won't shoot me in the back because he is competing for the same rank within my own organisation."

"But, he'll shoot you in the back because you are Eclipse," Miranda's voice now clearly showed her disbelief.

Fedora stopped walking for a moment and looked at her. "It's easier to trust an enemy than a friend Ms. Lawson," she said. "An enemy is open with his distrust and does not come to you full of smiles and promises of loyalty. We are in a business arrangement and we both know that the other will go to great lengths to protect his or her interest. It works for us."

Shepard made a motion with her hand to get Miranda to stand down and moved back into the conversation. "And what business is it that you do exactly?" she queried. "Which you can't do on your own?"

"Mineral trading, which we mine ourselves." Fedora intoned smoothly and started walking again. "As you can see, we are between jobs at the moment. Most of our storage rooms are empty," she motioned to the open doors around her. "I also won't lie about the fact that we sometimes take contracts when people need hired help, but it's all legit... What's the salarian doing?"

"Scanning isotope signature of last shipment," Mordin pointed out as he waved his omni-tool over the one cargo hold. "Evaluating microscopic level of decay. Element Zero detected, but traces are refined not raw. Leads to only one conclusion." He turned to Shepard. "This last shipment wasn't mined."

Fedora's mouth was very thin as she shrugged. "You know as well as I do that the mining rights on Element Zero is considerably more restricted than any of the other elements. We could not find a contract in time to meet our client's demand so we had to purchase some. I still have the data logs if you want to go over it."

Shepard held up her hand. "That won't be necessary," she said. "I believe you. Do you mind if we go down a level?"

The asari hesitated for only a second. "Of course," she said smoothly. "Please follow me."

**The End of Chapter 6**

_Coming soon – Chapter 07: Cargo._


	7. Chapter 7

_**AN: :) Not much to say. Thank you to all who are reading. And especially to those who have reviewed. ;) **_

**The 'box' was a claustrophobic, coffin like alcove build into the wall of the ship's lower level.** Abby had fought all the way when they put her in, but her legs were very quickly tied together, her arms strapped to her sides and she was posted into the alcove like a letter.

And shut in.

The air around her reeked of human fear and filth, hinting that its previous occupant had been in here for days. The dark within the box was so terrifying, so suffocating that Abby forgot her own pain for a few minutes as she yelled and thrashed, praying that she could somehow, someway attract Commander Shepard's attention. It was only when she thought this that she started laughing hysterically and lay back. There was no telling whether the crew of the Normandy had boarded the ship and – if these boxes were where they placed people they wanted to keep hidden, they would undoubtedly be sound proof.

Her laughter soon turned to silent sobs as her adrenaline worked its way out and she was left with nothing but the burning pain in her leg, the warm sensation of blood slowly seeping from her thigh and the knowledge that she was completely helpless, more so than she had ever been in her life. When the Normandy left, taking her chance of being saved with it, she was going to be left at these people's mercy and there was no telling what they were going to do to her then.

* * *

><p>"<strong>As you can see Commander," <strong>Fedora was saying as they stepped onto the lower deck which served mainly as a cargo hold, "we are truly between jobs. We have very little cargo with us at the moment. Aside from the odd crate with merchandise we're sailing empty."

Shepard looked around the dimly lit cargo hold and considered asking Miranda to form a ball of biotic light. But, she was afraid that it might alert Fedora to the woman's talent, something she had no intention of doing. Mordin, as he did with the previous level, went off to investigate some of the nooks and crannies around them where as Miranda remained close to Shepard, her arms crossed and her blue eyes dissecting the asari before them.

"When is your next job due?" Miranda asked, keeping her voice neutral as she eyed the two Blue Sun guards that were lounging around, seemingly unconcerned with their activities.

"We are on our way to Omega," Fedora said. "There, we will drop off what's in the cargo hold and take whatever new contract the other mercenary groups are willing to offer us. And, yes – before you ask, we did hear of this Archangel but we never encountered him and luckily he's dead now. I didn't want to get involved."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, taking note of the way the guards shifted when Mordin neared one particular section in the wall. He scanned the area and then moved on quickly, going to a row of crates that were stacked up against the wall.

"Why?" she queried, turning her attention back to the asari. "That was quite a big show down – or so my resources told me."

Fedora smiled but her expression wasn't friendly when she shrugged. "Jaroth was a fool," she said. "I had cautioned him years ago to choose his battles wisely, but he is a true salarian. Quick to make decisions, quick to make mistakes. Their battle wasn't my concern."

"Are you with the Sisterhood?" Miranda asked quickly, a question that was met by a soft chuckle.

"Trust Cerberus to know the depths of our organisation," she said and brightened. "Yes, I am with the Sisterhood, I have been for the past three hundred years. Since before your species could space travel, I believe."

Shepard raised an eyebrow and glanced at Mordin who was fussing with a crate. "I have heard that they have some strict initiation rites," she said. "How much of it is true?"

The asari shrugged, for the first time noticing with what Mordin was busy with. "It's all rumours," she said quickly. "Hey! Salarian! Those are more valuable than anything in this hold combined, including _your_ worth to your Commander."

Mordin looked up, his eyes shining. "Apologies," he said quickly. "Fascinating ornaments. Really unique this side of the galaxy. A request please? May I show Commander Shepard?"

The asari blinked at him as if he had gone mad, then she seemed to remember that he was a _salarian_ and made a wave of her hand. "Sure," she said dryly. "Knock yourself out. Commander, if he breaks any of that – Spectre or no Spectre I'll charge you."

Shepard chuckled; smiling at the woman in a manner which she hoped would put her more at ease. "I'll get him to back off," she said. "Don't worry." She turned and quickly went to him while Miranda remained with Fedora.

"What is it Mordin?"

"This is truly fascinating," Mordin said as he waved Shepard over and knelt over the box. "These designs have been created to fool the eye." He dropped his voice to a whisper as she bend over the container, putting her ear close to his face. _"As have this cargohold._ An untrained eye cannot follow the lines. Created by the Volus. _Space too narrow according to ship schematics._ Their art is rare outside their planet. Normally not stable in oxygen." He lifted what looked like round, scribbled on vase.

Shepard put a look of bored interest on her face, sharing a clear look with Miranda who rolled her eyes, much to Fedora's amusement.

"Why?" she asked, watching as Mordin lifted the vase above his head, clearly making Fedora nervous as she made to take a step closer but stopped, showing that she trusted Shepard to handle the situation.

"Minerals that react with hydrogen in air," he said happily. "Takes me back to my youth. Lots of fun in science class." He stuffed the vase into Shepard's hands and bend down again. She went down with him, slowly and carefully putting the vase back into the container. _"False wall,"_ Mordin whispered again. _"Hundreds of pockets slavers use to hide cargo. Can't be scanned by conventional Citadel troupes. And, I detected human blood on the floor. _Oh look at this one!"

He started to lift out another vase but Shepard put a quick hand on his and shook her head. "That is fascinating Mordin," she said loudly. "But about as much as I need to know. If they are truly rare here, I would hate it if you _incinerate_ what is _left._ _Right_ Miranda?"

"Of course Commander," the ex-Cerberus operative said calmly. "Are we ready to leave?"

"I think so," Shepard said and turned to Fedora. "I really appreciate your cooperation. Now, I'll appreciate it even more if you show us the rest of your cargo."

In her defence, Fedora clearly wasn't stupid. The moment Shepard said those words, she reacted – a lot quicker and violently than they had expected her to. With one brief motion of her hand, her guards moved in, but Mordin quickly moved to the left, incinerating the Blue Sun's turian, while Miranda hurled the other guard out of the door as she started moving right. Shepard had drawn her heavy pistol and aimed it at Fedora but the woman threw a ball of bright biotics at her which Jane quickly avoided by diving behind an empty container. Having seen Samara in action, she didn't trust older asari's skills – knowing that they have had a _lot_ of years to practice their biotics.

"You are making a mistake Shepard!" Fedora yelled at her from her cover. "Picking a fight with us is always a really bad idea. Your people are outnumbered and I have given the order to break away from your ship. I'm giving you one last chance to just walk away."

"Can't do that Fedora," Shepard said and looked out from behind the crate to see more guards coming towards them. "You have something I want and it's not ugly volus art. Now, I don't know what you know of my reputation but I would suggest that you tell your people to back off and let us out of here. Spare yourself the trouble of cleaning up later. If you're around to do it."

Fedora chuckled as more guards joined them. "I will not be threatened on my own ship," she said. "And, I don't care about your reputation. You're flesh and blood – no more. Guards, do some damage."

Keeping her pistol in one hand as she loosened her sniper rifle with the other, Shepard looked to Miranda. "Let's lay down cover," she barked her order. "Mordin, you open the alcove. Get her out of there." She hoped that the scientist was right and that it wasn't some other poor miserable soul that was trapped in there. There was no way of telling who was in there and whose blood was on the floor.

"Affirmative!" The salarian said as Miranda added her own. "On it!" She and Shepard started picking off the guards as they tried to move into the room. The lucky thing was that the entranced formed a funnel through which they could pick them off two at a time, and – there was very little place for them to take cover in the corridor. Mordin meanwhile went to a section of the wall and started waving his omni-tool over it, muttering to himself as he tried to decipher how to open it. He let out a jovial cheer when a small door popped open but the space was empty.

"Damn it," he muttered. "Wrong alcove."

"MORDIN!"

He moved to the next and started his waving again.

Miranda and Shepard meanwhile managed to move forward and take cover by the door, dealing with the guards as they came down the stairs. "He thinks he's a bloody wizard with all of that waving," Miranda snapped as she pressed her shoulder against the wall, her body flaring with biotics. "Yeoman Chambers gave him Lord of the bloody Rings."

Another alcove door popped open, this time revealing a dark head.

"It works for him," Shepard said. "Mordin?" She turned to see what he had found just in time to see him grab the person by the shoulders and pull her out of the alcove.

"Out you come," he said happily. "Let's see..."

The woman look terrified, her face pale and her dark eyes fixed on Mordin as she tried to squirm away against the wall. The salarian seemed oblivious to her fear and was dealing with her restraints. Shepard glanced at Miranda for permission who nodded tightly, giving her leave to investigate.

"We have to get a move on Shepard," the dark haired woman said. "Get her up and get her going."

Mordin had just managed to untie the woman's feet when Shepard reached them. She couldn't tell if it was horror or relief that shone in her dark eyes as she pushed herself up, her hands covered in her own blood. Her leg was also covered in blood, which accounted for her extremely pale features.

"My name is Shepard," Jane said quickly and motioned to Mordin to go and help Miranda. "We're here to help you. Can you walk?"

The woman blinked and began to push herself up. "I'll fly if you get me out of here," she breathed. "Please."

Jane nodded and helped her up. "What's your name?" she queried and propped her against the wall when she saw the grimace of pain that crossed her features. "Here, wait for a moment." She knelt down to inspect the damage. "This shot is recent."

The woman chuckled bitterly, winching when Shepard touched her leg. "I almost escaped. Almost. Just now. They shot me… Close range." She swallowed and leaned heavily against the wall. "My name is Abby."

Shepard ripped open the hole in Abby's pants and quickly applied some medi-gel with her omni-tool. "That should stop the bleeding for now," she said and glanced at her crew. "Are we ready to move out?"

"When you are Commander," Miranda said. "Is she moving?"

Shepard stood up, not missing the way Abby kept her eyes closed, her face tight with pain as she waited for the medi-gel to work. Before she could reply though, Abby pushed herself away from the wall and nodded. Shepard supported her to where Mordin was.

"Can you help her?" she asked the salarian scientist who nodded and smiled at Abby.

"It is not a well known fact," Mordin said as he pulled Abby's one arm over his shoulders. "But, salarians are excellent weight carriers."

"That is great for future reference Mordin," Shepard said lightly and winked at Miranda who rolled her eyes. "Okay everybody, let's go!"

**The End of Chapter 7 **

_Coming Soon – Chapter 8 – The Normandy _


	8. Chapter 8

_**AN: Thank you very much to all who have favoured this.**_

**The Normandy **

**The trip back to the Normandy was considerably more exciting than when they had left it.** Miranda and Shepard went in front, taking out all the mercs who came at them while Mordin and Abby brought up the rear. Her progress was slower, but she never made a sound as she half limped, half ran next to Mordin as they took the stairs two at a time. She stumbled once but picked herself up so quickly that she hardly missed a step. When group of mercs waited them in at the top of the stairs, she pushed Mordin in Shepard's direction so that he could help them.

Of Fedora and the batarian there was no sign.

They were almost pinned down by the group of mercs, but – just as things promised to become bleak, they heard more gun fire from the upper level. Pretty soon, Garrus and Legion came from the top of the stairs, firing at the guards who panicked as they quickly turned around to try and defend their backs. This allowed the other three to move from where they had been pinned.

The fight was over within seconds.

"Garrus," Shepard said with a smile. "Excellent timing."

The turian snorted and motioned to the salarian who went back to get Abby. The woman had sat down against the wall and had drawn her one leg up so that she could rest her head against it.

"You brought him instead of me?"

Shepard smiled and nodded at Legion. "He wasn't in the middle of calibrations," she pointed out. "You brought Legion?"

Garrus sighed almost patiently when he turned to the geth. "He... It... They... _Whatever_ made the calculation that you were severely outnumbered. It was pretty hard to ignore the statistics. Jack wanted to come along as well but I don't trust her biotics in close quarters. She might just space us all… Do you need help with that Professor?" He went over to where Mordin was trying to pull Abby back on her feet.

"Salarians can carry weight," he was saying. "But lack certain lift capabilities. Careful now... She's hurt. He is a friend Abby."

If the woman protested Garrus touching her, Shepard didn't see it for Legion came to stand in front of her, demanding her attention. The platform lacked the perception of personal space which freaked out quite a lot of her crew members but she had gotten used to it.

"We have calculated that 57.2% of the crew are dead or incapacitated," Legion pointed out. "It would be a positive action to retreat to the Normandy now Shepard-Commander."

Shepard nodded and turned to see that Garrus had picked up the woman completely. She had her eyes closed and was breathing deeply as if she was struggling to remain conscious. "Thank you Legion," she said and motioned her crew forward. "You heard the math guys. Garrus, when you where coming down did you shoot an asari captain? Or even a batarian one?"

"I shot a couple of batarians Shepard," he said. "And a few asari but they were all initiates by my guess. I think the Captains have cut their losses and barricaded themselves in their chambers."

"Cowards," Mordin said disgusted. "The whole lot of them."

Miranda frowned and pushed through the aliens to Shepard. "We can discuss their honour later," she said. "What we need to now is get _her_ to Dr. Chakwas and get ourselves off of this ship. Alright?"

_Trust Miranda to focus them,_ Shepard thought with a secret smile and nodded, wordlessly taking the lead as they went the last of the way back to the airlock. If they had tried to disengage from the Normandy they would've immediately found that EDI had blocked all of their actions – having hacked their ship's systems. Sometimes having an AI helped.

There were now very little resistance left and they reached the airlock quickly. Crowded into the small pocket they disengaged from the ship and felt the Normandy shift as they turned away from it. Miranda immediately opened up the airlock and pushed Legion out with her to give the others more space. Shepard had gone to Garrus's side and was looking at Abby.

"EDI," she said. "Alert Dr. Chakwas, we're going down."

"Already done Shepard," the AI said. "She's ready when you are."

* * *

><p><strong>She was breathing through her nose, trying desperately to remain conscious as she was carried into the bowels of the Normandy.<strong> The lighting felt soft and warm despite the chill that had settled around her, but she suspected that the sensation was more from the blood loss than anything else. When she felt someone squeeze her hand up to a point of it being almost painful she managed to open her eyes and stare at the concerned features of Commander Jane Shepard. There was a wall behind her and the sensation of moving followed.

_The elevator?_

"Hold on, we're almost there," Shepard said and turned as the door opened. "Dr. Chakwas? Here."

"Bring her in Garrus," an older voice said. "You'll see the area I've repaired. What's the extent of her injuries Commander?"

"As far as I can tell, just this gunshot wound but she said it was at close range. The medi-gel hasn't stopped the bleeding."

"This deep it wouldn't..."

They were talking over her head, something which brought out a primal anger in Abby's heart. "I'm still here," she breathed but it wasn't at them, but a distant memory vivid now in this strange time and place.

* * *

><p>"<strong>Dr. Gable was in an unfortunate accident,"<strong> the doctor was saying behind the curtain, his voice soft and professional. "She claimed that she stumbled which made her fall right in front of a car. Luckily the driver wasn't going very fast, otherwise there's no telling how severe her injuries would've been."

"In front of a car?" The other voice exclaimed. "That's terrible! Is she alright?"

"Yes, yes," the doctor said quickly. "She's fine. Dislocated shoulder. Few cracked ribs and a concussion. We'll keep her overnight for observation but none of her injuries are any cause for major concern."

She was lying in the bed, blissfully ignorant to her injuries thanks to the painkillers the nurse had brought her earlier. "I'm here," she whispered, but her voice didn't make it past the curtains. "I'm fine."

"She's... She's clumsy. I... She's been worse, I told her she should wait and maybe get new shoes..."

"I don't think it's her shoes that are the problem," the doctor said slowly, carefully. "I am... concerned with her medical history. I see on her record that she came to see a Biokineticist a couple of months ago. Because she stumbled?"

There was a pause. "Er... yes. He gave her some supplements and exercises..."

"Has she seen him recently? Has he tested her coordination? Did he do any blood work?" The doctor's questions were become insistent and the owner of the voice didn't know how to deal with them.

"Well..."

Abby cleared her throat. "I'm here," she said. "I'm fine..."

* * *

><p>"<strong>Yes, I know you're fine but you have to stay still for a moment love,"<strong> Dr. Chakwas was saying as she pushed the stranger back onto the bed. "Ms. Lawson, thank you for volunteering to help me."

Miranda, who had followed them down to the infirmary, was about to make a break for her office when the doctor saw her preparing to leave. If the hidden demand irritated her, she didn't show it but coolly went to the other side of the bed and put a steadying hand on the woman's shoulder. Shepard stood back, out of their way, and crossed her arms, remembering what it felt like to be in Abby's position. She had woken up once in the Cerberus facility, confused and scared – conscious for the first time after being in a coma for two years. Miranda had stood over her much as she did over Abby now, her face cool and calculating yet her hands warm and reassuring. She was an enigma, much like her genetic legacy.

"I trust you can put in an IV," Dr. Chakwas was saying as she handed Miranda the synthetic plasma they used in cases of extreme blood loss. "You'll find the needles to your left. Use a 13 gauge..."

"Subclavian?" Miranda queried before Dr. Chakwas could finish her sentence – who took it all in stride.

"Would be excellent if you can manage," she said. "Then get a patch on her..."

Shepard left to give them space and almost collided with Yeoman Kelly Chambers at the elevator who had come down to see their latest arrival. She politely redirected the yeoman, telling her that Abby would most probably not be conscious for long knowing both Dr. Chakwas and Miranda but even then Kelly objected – saying that their new comer (and her latest project) would appreciate waking up to a friendly face.

Jane confined her to the second level anyway and went to check up on Mordin, Garrus and Legion to thank them for their participation and to reassure herself that they were all fine. She had long since learned to be grateful _every time _her crew returned safely. It was only when she went _back_ to the infirmary when she realized that she had not yet seen Samara even though she had expected the Justicar to be the first one to want to interview Abby.

She went to the Starboard Observation room only to find that it was empty. She then went to the infirmary, saw that Samara wasn't there and then went up to the bridge where she had seen her last. Samara wasn't on the second level either. Standing in the cockpit with Joker, frowning as she saw them travel towards the nearest Mass Relay (which was always their default location), Jane called up EDI.

"EDI, can you tell me where Samara is?" she queried. "Is she on Level 4?"

"No Commander," the AI said in her usual bored tone. "She is not. I can tell you where she is."

_Input, output._ Jane thought, trying to be patient and to remember that she wasn't working with an actual life form. Questions had to be specific.

"Where is Samara EDI?" she queried. "Please tell me."

"Certainly Commander," the AI said, sounding a little bit happier. "She has remained behind on the merchant ship."

* * *

><p><strong>She had a headache, she's had one ever since she tried to meld with the human woman.<strong> Nursing a glass of Ice Brandy, Fedora looked at the flashing lights of her console, each of them representing an operative she lost contact with on board the ship.

_Lost contact with?_ She thought. _They got killed. We outnumbered them ten to one and they went through us like a vorcha plague. Damn them. Damn them all. And that woman… _

Fedora didn't think much of humans, for all the similarities their two species shared or the diversity that their DNA offered. She herself had only had one daughter, a pure blood – because she could not stand the idea of diluting her own genetics with that of the other species. It was one of the reason she had no scruples to use her biotic ability to extract information from anyone. She had perfected the art, using it in a way that was forbidden by her people. She had not met any one who could resist her.

Till this woman.

When the door to her office opened, she didn't even bother looking up, waving away Jazek – for he was the only one stupid enough to come in without knocking, thinking that they were equals. "I'm busy Jazek," she said. "I think given the gravity of our situation we can each take an hour or two to process this."

"Processing should never be delayed," an unknown voice said, making her leap to her feet, knocking over her glass and the bottle of brandy. Before she could do anything, she was captured and wrapped up in a web of biotics so strong she could hardly breathe. She didn't recognise the asari that was now standing her in office but she knew without a doubt what she was.

Fedora wasn't scared often, but now she was terrified.

"Fuck," she breathed and struggled to get loose. "Fuck!"

The Justicar came round to her side of the desk, her pale eyes searching Fedora's face. "I am Samara," the asari matriarch said. "A servant of the Justicar Code. You are Captain Fedora, indoctrinate of the Eclipse Sisters."

Fedora ground her teeth together, nauseous when she realized what her fate was going to be. If the Justicar knew that she was with the Sisterhood, she also knew that she had committed at least one murder in her life. Her end was very near and the Justicar knew that she could see it.

"What happened to my crew?" Fedora asked, trying hard to keep the tremor from her voice. She would not go to her death in tears. _She would not…_

Samara glanced over her shoulder before she turned her gaze back to her. "They are none of your concern anymore," she said simply. "What concerns you is what concerns me, I know that your people led the attack on Banrio and I would like to know why you are searching for an Ardat Yakshi."

Fedora took a steadying breath and relaxed her features. "We were hunting her Justicar," she said. "She has committed terrible atrocities. We were merely planning to put her to justice."

Samara smiled slightly, though her face was no less fearsome. "One does not attack a group of unknown strangers for justice," she said. "You attacked those turians." The biotics around Fedora tightened.

"They were helping her!" The asari said quickly. "You know as well as I do what an Ardat Yakshi is! They were under her spell!"

Samara shook her head like a patient mother, closing her eyes for a second. "I know what an Ardat Yakshi is," she said patiently. "I know what innocence is. And rash action. You were not attacking those turians for their own sake, but for your own gain. If your cause was just, you would not have attacked all of them. You would've involved one of us. Do you intend to lie to me further? Shall we end this now?" The biotics tightened even further, squeezing Fedora's armour together until she heard two of the plates crack. She gasped and swallowed.

"Wait!" she said. "Wait, wait… This one, this Ardat Yakshi… If she is who we are seeking, she… She has a price on her head. We were told to bring her in. To take her."

"To whom?"

Fedora coughed as the biotics started making her breathing difficult. "Closed contract," she breathed. "They want her alive…"

"Why?"

"Don't know," Fedora said and closed her eyes, thinking about her daughter. "Never said. We do what we do. If you want answers, ask the woman, the woman Commander Shepard just saved."

Samara frowned and for a moment Fedora felt the biotics around her give way a bit. It gave her a spark of hope as she started focusing on her own powers.

"So, she _is_ associated with the Ardat Yakshi?"

Fedora nodded. "There's something strange about her, she is not as innocent as she will pretend to be! My men saw the Ardat Yakshi trying to take her with her. But they were both injured… But I bet you, she knows. That human knows." When she saw Samara frown to consider this she took her chance, embraced her biotics and threw all of her power at the Justicar's shield around her. It shattered and she dropped to the floor. She reached for her gun immediately and fired like a berserker, only stopping when her gun ejected its thermal clip.

_Damn_… She was about to look around but was slammed by a force of biotics so strong it felt as if it cracked all her ribs. A searing pain punctured her side as her body bounced against the wall. Her vision was already darkening but when she blinked she saw a light coming her way which knelt beside her. As she gasped for breath, she saw two hands reach out from the light and caress her face before they took a firm grip on her neck and cheek.

"Find peace in the embrace of the Goddess," Samara whispered and jerked Fedora's head left.

The mercenary was no more.

**The End of Chapter 8**


	9. Chapter 9

_**AN: Yesterday I passed 150 visitors per day on this story. The thought is exhilarating. Thank you every body for reading this. **_

**Touching on the Code.**

**Shepard got Joker to turn the Normandy around immediately and go back to the location where they had left the ship.** She was so scared that it would be long gone by now, that the sight of it surprised her – still exactly where they left it. Shepard stared at the ship and then immediately instructed Joker to link up with it again.

"EDI," she said when she saw the AI come online. "Are there any life signs onboard?"

The AI took a moment to process this request. "Only one," she said finally. "Though the ship's emergency pods have been deployed."

"Why aren't we picking up their emergency beacons?" Joker queried.

"They are self repellent crafts," EDI said. "According to the schematics on board, they have been programmed to go to the nearest Blue Suns base in the area. There are quite a few."

Shepard swallowed as she watched how Joker carefully manoeuvred the Normandy alongside the mercenary ship. EDI, who still had access to their controls, handled everything on the other side –preparing their airlock for boarding.

"Is there any way of telling whether the life sign is Samara?" She queried, her emotions a turmoil of anger and relief.

"I can't say Shepard," EDI said simply. "They are ready to be boarded."

The Commander let out a frustrated breath and went to the airlock immediately, pulling out her heavy pistol. "I will beat her like a red headed stepchild," she muttered. "Open it up Joker." When her pilot started to protest, suggesting that she should take someone with her, she gave him a frustrated look.

"I can handle one guard," she said. "And if it's Samara, I prefer to confront her alone. Now open it up Joker."

If EDI had a face, Joker would've shared a look with her as he opened up the airlock. When the Commander stepped inside, he turned to the AI. "If you're still hacked into the surveillance security," he said. "Make a recording..."

* * *

><p><strong>She had her back turned towards the door when she heard the slightest sound of someone stepping on a piece of paper.<strong> The person stopped moving immediately but Samara didn't bother turning around. She knew who it was.

"Shepard," she said simply and put down the data pad that she had been reading. "What are you doing here?" When she turned to look at the woman, she realized that Jane's green eyes were bright with anger.

"I should ask you the same thing!" she snapped. "What the hell are you doing here Samara? Why did you leave the Normandy without telling us? We _left_ you here. We had to come back for you!"

Samara raised an eyebrow and looked back to the data pad. "I was under the impression that EDI would tell you that I left," she said. "The AI monitors our movements constantly, correct?"

Jane sniffed sharply and moved so that she could stand closer to Samara. It was only when she moved into the room completely that she saw the dead asari. Staring at the pale blue woman, her arms crossed delicately over her chest, the Commander flinched as she remembered the first time she saw the Justicar. She killed an Eclipse asari lieutenant in cold blood, then she had walked towards Shepard – her movements smooth and graceful, her face impassive and calm. Jane had known in an instant that the woman would not hesitate to kill her if it served her Code.

"You should've told me," she said heatedly. "I am your Commander Samara, you cannot just leave."

Samara's eyes held that same impassive calm than they did that day in Illium. "I will leave when my Code dictates me to," she said simply. "I am going to leave eventually Shepard." She thought that it might be a good time to point that out again, for her own sake and for Jane's but it clearly wasn't what the woman wanted to hear.

"I am your Commander," Jane pointed out in the same angry tone. "You are a part of my crew. Until you release yourself or I release you from the oath you swore to me, you will remain so. You will adhere to protocol. You will tell me where you are going, you won't just leave. You can't." There was a tone in her voice then, a note of _something_ other than anger.

Samara stood back and leaned against the captain's desk, staring at Commander Jane Shepard. She knew the woman had a temper, even though she was very good at hiding it. She took everything very seriously and ran her previously Cerberus ship with the same iron schedule of an Alliance cruiser. She was good at what she did because she always reacted with _just_ the right amount of emotion and rarely let her hair down in public, even around the members of her first crew. Yet, behind a closed door, she could be friendly and funny. She voiced her personal opinions readily. Or she did with Samara...

Or used to.

Looking around to see if there was anybody else present, Samara frowned and took a step closer to the human woman.

"Jane," she said softly. "Are you angry with me for not following protocol as a crew member and not telling you? Or, are you angry because I left and didn't tell you as a friend?"

The question took Jane surprise and she seemed to take several mental steps back. Instead of looking at Samara, her gaze returned to Fedora's corpse. Jane had once told her that she regretted killing asari, more so than other races.

"_Every life that you take,"_ she had said, sitting beside her on the floor of the Starboard observation room. _"You take away years of experience. Of memories. Of wisdom gained and ignored. With the asari and the krogan, I can extinguish a life that has stretched over a thousand years. I don't like it."_

Samara had had no reply to that. She didn't get philosophical about death and killing, there was no place for it in the Code. As she had told Shepard, she rarely meditated on the lives that she took, she did it because she had to and those she put to justice deserved it.

It was that simple.

"Do me a favour Samara," Shepard whispered, breaking the silence. "Don't ever just leave. I know that you will eventually, but... Say good bye. Tell me. I have had everything taken from me in one second, without warning. I don't like losing things anymore and I will not like losing you."

They were back on _that._ That tension between them, _that_ promise of a life that will never be. For both of them. Samara sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, thinking that as nice as it has been – it was very complicated working with people.

"I'll never do that Shepard," she said. "I apologize for what I did today, it was selfish. I am not used to working with people and I am most definitively not used to explaining myself to anyone."

Jane nodded slowly and cleared her throat, looking at the mess the office was in. "What did you find?" she queried, choosing not to ask about the dead asari.

Samara sighed and motioned to the data pad. "They are most definitively looking for an Ardat Yakshi. I'm trying to determine why but it's all very vague. Some of the older correspondence mentions that a suitable candidate had been found in Omega..." She trailed off, thinking about her daughter. "But, then it says that the subject has left. And, before you ask – no, I can't tell who send them this information."

Shepard picked up the data pad and scanned it. Then, took out her omni-tool and waved it over Fedora's old console.

"She send a message to someone before we came here, saying that they have found leverage." She glanced at Samara. "I wonder if she's referring to Abby?"

"Abby?" Samara queried.

"The woman we just rescued."

"Ah," Samara said scanned the room one last time. "Has she said anything about the Ardat Yakshi?"

Jane shrugged went to the door. "I haven't had the time to question her," she said. "She was shot and lost a lot of blood. Dr. Chakwas and Miranda are looking at her now. We'll take her with us. EDI?"

"_Here Shepard." _

"Download the ship's mainframe onto ours, we can see if there's any valuable data here for us to salvage. We're coming back aboard."

"_Affirmative Shepard." _

Jane turned back to Samara who was still standing in the office, looking at her. "Are you ready to go?" she queried and paused. "Are you coming back with me?"

She got worried when Samara didn't answer immediately, but then the asari smiled and inclined her head ever so slightly. "Of course Commander," she said. "I have not said good bye yet have I?"

* * *

><p>"<strong>We've stopped the bleeding and repaired the damage that we could fix,"<strong> Dr. Chakwas was saying to Shepard later when she returned with Samara to the infirmary. "She's pretty beaten up but not so much that I can say she was in the middle of the fire fight on the planet. I think she got most of her injuries from the mercenaries."

"Did she say anything Dr. Chakwas?" Samara asked, taking her first good look at the pale woman in the medi-bay. They had moved her to the bed that was closest to Dr. Chakwas' station and cleaned her up a bit. She was sleeping soundly, her chest rising and falling rhythmically with her hand resting on it. She was still being given replacement plasma for her blood loss, but her colour looked considerably better than when Shepard last saw her.

"I think she was too far gone when she got here Justicar," Dr. Chakwas said with the same amount of respect in her voice as she used with Shepard. "She kept telling us that she was fine and she continued to try and get up until Miranda sedated her. But she didn't really say anything of worth."

Shepard made a sound in the back of her throat, thinking that her second in command was _very_ good with that. "Where _is_ Miranda by the way?" Jane queried, looking around the crew deck.

There was a small smirk in the corner of Dr. Chakwas' mouth as she glanced at her data pad. "In the shower," she said simply. "There was an accident. She's coming back to help me run some tests, I believe it would be good for her to do something."

"Tests?"

The doctor's face darkened for a second before she shrugged. "Nothing that would concern the rest of the crew," she said. "But... I have found something. I think that Miranda might offer some valuable insight into the matter. I'll tell you when we have more data. Tell me Commander, who _will_ be funding us now that we've turned our backs on Cerberus?"

Jane rolled her eyes and shrugged. "If you're wondering whether your gross budget for the infirmary is still standing then yes Doctor, you can go ahead and run as many tests as you like. Treat her as you would our own, leave the budget worries to me." She paused and studied the sleeping woman. "Is she ill? Apart from her injuries that is."

The doctor's expression was unreadable as she too turned to the newest occupant of the Normandy.

"I think it's a little bit more complicated than that Commander."

**The End of Chapter 9**

_Coming soon – Chapter 10 - Genetics. _


	10. Chapter 10

_**AN: Scientific facts are always tedious to portray in an interesting fashion. I tried my best with the last paragraph of this story, but unfortunately, I needed to explain a few things without asking all of you to 'google' it. I apologise and hope it's not too painful. Oh, and it's a ma'am**_ Hopelessly Blue.

**The Veterinarian. **

She was thirsty.

Abby lay very still as she listened to the sounds around her, feeling anxious and confused. It smelled sterile but then she figured that _anything_ would smell sterile after the odours she encountered in the "_box_". She had to take a very careful breath to quell her rising fear, spurred on by her remembered terror of that wretched dark space they had stuffed her in. It made her current predicament seem less severe. She wasn't sure where she was _this_ time – but at least she was comfortable. And... slightly uncomfortable.

She wondered if this room had an empty bucket...

Swallowing against the dryness in her throat, she finally ventured to open her eyes. The light was bright enough, the room comfortably warm. It had to be, she was practically naked with only a soft white blanket to protect her modesty. She also had an IV snaking from just below her collarbone, though she could not identify the straw coloured liquid that was being fed into her body. When she looked around, she realized that she wasn't alone but the person approaching the bed didn't frighten her, as she was human.

The young woman, who had just come round her bed, smiled at her, her light green eyes dancing as she pulled a nearby chair closer.

"You're awake," she said happily. "Good afternoon!"

The warmth of her voice was such a relief that Abby almost cried and she had to take several moments to pull herself together. She recognized the girl's voice and – now that she looked closely, she could see the resemblance to the computer generated image she had seen. It was Kelly Chambers, Shepard's enthusiastic secretary.

She was safe.

Kelly seemed to sense that she struggled with her emotions and smiled warmly, putting her hand over the covers where her own hand was and squeezing it. "Can I get you anything?" she queried. "My name is Kelly Chambers, you're on the Normandy."

Having gotten the urge to cry under control, Abby nodded and cleared her throat. "I'm ah..." She had to clear her throat again. "I'm thirsty. Ahm. Hi."

Kelly grinned and for a moment disappeared from sight. Abby took the time to close her eyes and do a mental tally of her body. She was sore, her leg stiff and painful. When she felt around, she realized that her thigh was tightly bandaged but despite that she could lift her knee ever so slightly without causing too much discomfort. She was about to try and sit up, clutching the white blanket to her chest, when Kelly returned, a glass and straw in hand.

"Wait," she said, sensing what Abby wanted to do. "I'll lift the bed a bit." She put the glass down and stuck out her hand. Abby watched in fascination as the image of her omni-tool appeared. Kelly fiddled with some of the functions and then slowly raised the headrest of the bed. Abby had to close her eyes when she was sat up, her head spinning as black flecks danced across her vision. She clutched the blanket tightly until the moment passed and opened her eyes just in time to see Kelly shake out a white shirt.

"Here," the yeoman said. "I brought you this. I'm sorry to say that most of your clothes are..." _Dirty? Destroyed?_ "A bit draughty for wear now. Don't worry – we have extras. I'll help you..."

Before Abby could protest, Kelly had helped her into the shirt, quickly and efficiently pulling it over her head and guiding her arms into the long sleeves. Remembering the dialogue from the game, Abby couldn't help but smile slightly, wondering if this perky little secretary was as good at taking people's clothes _off_ than she was at putting them on. She had to get her practice somewhere and Kasumi Goto _had_ thought that she was coming onto her...

"I can see that you feel better already," Kelly said with a smile and held the glass out to her. "Here's some water."

Abby reached out gratefully to take the glass from Kelly, but when the weight settled in her hands they started shaking and she spilled some on the bed. Kelly enclosed her hands around Abby's, her eyes alert. "I'll help..." She started but Abby, who had pulled the glass down so that it could rest in her lap, shook her head stubbornly.

"I'm fine," she said, perhaps in a sharper tone than the young woman deserved. "I'll do it."

She relaxed her grip on the glass, took several deep breaths until her hands stopped shaking and then brought it up to her lips again. She drank carefully and gratefully, with only the slightest tremor to make the glass unstable. When she set it down, she realized that another person had joined them – the grey haired, serene faced Dr. Chakwas who was staring – not at her – but at her hands, thoughtfully.

_She knows._

"Oh, and here's Dr. Chakwas," Kelly said, seemingly oblivious to the weight that settled around Abby. "She's our physician and..."

The doctor looked up and fixed Kelly with a calm, but insistent look. "I'll introduce myself thank you Yeoman," she said. "You can go, if you don't mind – I would like to have a look at our visitor's injuries."

Sensing that she was being dismissed, Kelly sighed and shrugged, smiling again at Abby. "I'll come round later," she said. "See you."

When she left, the room seemed less warm somehow. Abby immediately realized that Kelly had an unprejudiced sense of caring in her, one that held no biased, no matter what your specie, or your condition. When she left, Dr. Chakwas smiled at Abby for the first time and sat down on the chair the secretary had vacated.

"It is a pleasure to see you awake," Dr. Chakwas said warmly. "I am Dr. Catherine Chakwas and I believe that you are Abby?" She held out her hand.

Abby hesitated, trying to relax, before she sighed and took the woman's hand in hers. "Dr. Abigail Gable," she said – choosing to use her full name and title, feeling that it might offer her some protection from the woman's steely gaze. "Thank you for helping me."

She saw Dr. Chakwas hesitate at the title, then smile. "I'm not the one you should be thanking," she said. "Commander Jane Shepard whom you met on the ship deserves it. A doctor? Of what field?"

"Veterinary medicine," Abby said with a touch of hesitance, wondering how she was going to explain herself. The other doctor's eyes shone with delight as she smiled.

"A veterinarian?" she queried. "I have always heard the colonists saying that there weren't enough of you around. When humans started jumping across the galaxy, nobody ever considered that the pets that they were taking with them would need care to. Of course, a lot of you integrated into the alien biology sector. Or so I've been told." She waited as if expecting Abby to confirm or deny her suspicions.

"That's what they say," Abby said carefully, the thought not having occurred to her either because there were no dogs or cats in the game. "Honestly, I didn't study veterinary medicine to run around with krogan. I've had enough of aliens to last me a life time." She couldn't keep the last bitterness from her tone, her mind returning to Asura. She started all of this, if she hadn't touched her...

She noticed that the doctor was staring at her intently, a look which made her feel very insecure. When Dr. Chakwas noticed her discomfort she smiled reassuringly and stood up. "Well, let's have a look at you," she said, her own omni-tool flaring to life over her hand. "Apart from your gunshot wound, did you have any other injuries?"

Abby stared at the glowing orange device, wondering how it worked. "You tell me," she said dryly, thinking that it was a silly time to ask that question.

The older doctor smiled and let the device disappear, choosing to lift up her blankets look at the bandages. "I could see that the mercenaries didn't treat you kindly," she said. "You're lucky you weren't their hostage for long. We've repaired the damage to your leg. You're very fortunate that we have one of the galaxy's foremost experts in tissue repair on board. Miranda can fix almost everything, even death." She hesitated, ever so slightly. If Abby wasn't waiting for it, she would've missed it. "For my records, could you tell me a little of your medical history?"

She waited, her eyes meeting Abby's in expectation. The veterinarian met her gaze squarely, almost defiantly as her memories jumped back to those precious twenty seconds that she could stand on one leg, unhindered, without losing her balance.

_Twenty seconds_.

"I have Huntington's disease," she said blankly. "But you know that already."

She saw the soft breath that Dr. Chakwas let out, the pity and _understanding_ that came and went in her gaze. She sat down on the bed without touching Abby, her expression apologetic.

"If it sounds as if I bated you I'm sorry," she said. "I had to find out whether you know. You look like a smart woman and I'd hate to blurt something out in a manner that isn't delicate, if you weren't aware of it. How advanced is your condition?"

Abby snorted and looked away, her eyes travelling over the archaic ring binders that lined Dr. Chakwas's desk. She wouldn't have thought that people still used them after they discovered they could travel through space to other galaxies. But there they were, just like she was here.

"Far enough." If Dr. Chakwas couldn't hear in her tone that she didn't want to discuss it anymore, the woman was deaf. As it were, the older doctor retreated immediately, standing up and moving back, giving Abby the space she needed.

"Alright," Dr. Chakwas said slowly. "That's all that I need to know for now. I think you should try and get some rest. I'm giving you your last bag of plasma, after that I'll remove the IV. My assistant, which is not Yeoman Chambers I should add, will come and assist you in a moment so that you can... be more comfortable." She smiled in a motherly kind of way. "And, if Kelly does come back – feel free to tell her not to bother you. She can be... insistent. Her heart's in the right place though." She turned to the door.

Abby watched her and finally gathered up the courage to speak again. She didn't want to, but she had to _know._

"There isn't a cure yet... Out here... is there?"

The doctor seemed surprised at her question but shook her head sadly. "No," she said. "I haven't come across one. Jeff... Our pilot has Vrolik Syndrome. I like to keep abreast of these matters." She seemed to want to ask something else, but choose not to. "Get some rest Dr. Gable, we can sort out a few things later."

She left the infirmary without further ceremony, leaving Abby to stare in her wake. When she realized that her hands were clutching the white blanket she took a moment to stare at them, noticing how they shook the moment she started to put strain on them. She doubted whether she could hold a pen in her current state and didn't try to sooth herself by saying that it was just because she was tired.

_What a mess,_ she thought and settled back, staring at the straw coloured bag that hung above her head. _I am... such a mess..._

* * *

><p>"<strong>There are two forms of Huntington's disease," <strong>Dr. Chakwas was saying some time later when she, Miranda, Shepard and Samara were gathered in Miranda's office, one of the few truly private places on the Normandy. "One caused by inheriting a defective gene from your parents and the other by a random mutation on that gene. It's characterised by progressive neural degeneration. Patients commonly exhibit signs of uncontrolled movements, muscle degeneration, weight loss due to impaired swallowing, psychosis, depression, paranoia... " She trailed off and grimaced. "It's not pleasant and there is no known cure. They used to be given medication which can alleviate some of the discomfort and control anxiety, which can aggravate the severity of the symptoms."

Shepard frowned and crossed her arms, looking to Miranda who was sitting behind her desk, her clear blue eyes studying Samara thoughtfully as the Justicar stood by her window – staring out across the dark void of space.

"You said used to?" Jane queried, making Miranda sit forward immediately.

"It's rare Shepard," she said. "Very rare, especially out here. When genetic testing became compulsory in 2087 most of the carriers were recognized. Symptoms generally only manifest _after_ the age of 30, when most carriers have already had at least one child. That's how it continued to be prevalent until genetic testing identified the carriers at an early age. Those individuals didn't reproduce and effectively stopped the disorder from continuing in future generations. I'm not going to go into details but basically, the disease is caused by a series of trinucleotide repeats in a region of the fourth human chromosome's DNA. The more these nucleotides repeat, the more severe the manifestation of the symptoms..."

Jane held up her hand, interrupting Miranda. "Lawson, it's all Greek to me," she pointed out. "I don't understand what this has to do with Abby or Dr. Gable – except of course that she has it."

"We're trying to explain the uniqueness of her situation to you Commander," Dr. Chakwas interjected. "What Ms. Lawson was saying is that generally, this repeat in nucleotides, when they are caused by a random mutation, is picked up before an individual reproduces. Normally, when they are still asymptomatic. As these things work, in their children, and their children's children repeats of the trinucleotide sequence becomes exponentially more. It gets worse with every generation. But, you don't see it anymore, because it's stopped before its expression becomes severe. People don't reproduce if they know they have a very good chance at giving their children a life sentence of future disability."

If the others saw Samara flinch, they didn't awknowledge it. Jane spared her a glance and sighed before she decided that it was still Greek to her. But she figured that she really didn't need to know more so she pretended to understand what was being said. "So, Abby's had a random mutation of this gene and it's made her ill?"

The other two human women shared a look, telling her that they knew she missed something. "Let me put it this way Commander," Dr. Chakwas said. "Abby has so many repeats on her gene that she is at least in the second or _third_ generation of her family who shows symptoms of this. She seems to be the product of a family who has slipped through the system and out here, because every human who left Earth was and is _still_ tested for genetic abnormalities, it generally doesn't happen."

Jane sighed patiently and glanced at Samara for support who had finally moved from her position by the window. "I have to agree with Commander Shepard," she pointed out. "I don't understand how this is of significance."

Miranda frowned at the Justicar and made a motion with her hand. "We want you to _understand_ what you're dealing with when you go and interrogate her," she said. "That's all. You need to know that you are probably not the scariest thing that she had ever faced, because this disease, this fate she carries is pretty fucking scary in its own right because _there is no cure_. She's got nothing to lose because she's dying slowly and from what Dr. Chakwas told me, she knows it. We all know that there is nothing more unpredictable than someone who's got nothing to lose. That is what we want you to know. And, _we_ want to know where she comes from."

Samara shared a look with Shepard and stepped to the door. "We will attempt to understand her then," the Justicar said. "And, we will try and find an answer for your questions. Thank you for taking the time to explain this to us." She headed for the door but waited there for Jane.

The Commander was smiling slightly as she nodded at the two women, thinking that she was blessed to have such great minds around her, even if she didn't always understand them.

"We'll keep you updated," she said. "Thank you for taking the trouble to try and make this clear. Though, remember – she's not our prisoner. We just want to question her about the Ardat Yakshi. Then we'll take her home, where ever that may be." She left before they could comment, leaving the two of them to stare at each other in mild irritation.

"They didn't hear a word of what we said," Miranda pointed out. "I don't think they even tried."

Dr. Chakwas sighed and went to the door, thinking that she better introduce Abby to the Commander and the Justicar as they could be quite a formidable pair when they just showed up out of the blue.

"They did," she said. "But, it's not important to them. They want answers, same as us – but their questions are different."

**The End of Chapter 10. **

_Coming Soon – Chapter 11: Questions._


	11. Chapter 11

_**AN: :) Thank you for all the great reviews on the last chapter, especially to the anonymous ones which I cannot reply to directly.**_Hopelessly Blue**, **_**;) don't you forget it**_**. **Anon due to embarrassment_**, playing in traffic is generally considered hazardous to your health and**_Charlie**, **_**I hope I can fit more in. Thank you for reviewing.**_

**Interrogation. **

**The veterinarian was awake when they came back into the infirmary, her face deep in thought as she stared at the AI core.** Her one hand was clutched nervously in her lap, where the other one was beating a nervous taboo over her knuckles. The movement didn't seem involuntary; they got the impression that she was doing it because she still could.

Dr. Chakwas moved to the bed first, while Shepard and Samara remained by the door as it slid close behind them. Abby looked up at the noise, first looking to Chakwas, then to them – the nervous movements of her hand ceasing immediately. She looked... Scared. In awe.

Relieved.

Shepard smiled at her, but remained back as Dr. Chakwas pointed an accusing finger at her patient.

"I thought I told you to get some rest Doctor," she said and briefly checked on the almost depleted IV bag. "Resting normally accompanies sleeping. I don't need to tell you that synthetic plasma is not a wonder cure for blood loss, merely a crutch till your body picks up the pieces again."

Abby sniffed and made a vague motion with her hand, her wrist trembling slightly. "Then you'd have had to wake me Doctor," she pointed out, her gaze returning to Jane. "You're Commander Shepard, I remember you from the ship." She tried to smile, but it was weak, her gaze worried as she glanced at Samara. "I haven't had the chance to thank you for rescuing me..." She turned her full attention back to Shepard. "I am really grateful. I don't think I would've survived that box."

Jane smiled and, after glancing at Dr. Chakwas for permission stepped closer to the bed. "Think nothing of it," she said. "We're happy to help."

Dr. Chakwas motioned to Samara to come closer as well. "Commander Shepard and Samara want to ask you a few questions Dr. Gable," she said and briefly touched the woman's shoulder. "Are you up to it? And, are you in any pain at the moment?"

Abby tried to smile. "If I don't actually have to get up... that'll be fine." She paused and tried to move her injured leg. "And, I'm not really in pain, I'm fine."

Dr. Chakwas nodded and fixed Shepard with a stern look. "Don't upset my patient, I'll be back in a moment or two." Patting Abby on the shoulder, she left the room but Shepard could see that she only went as far as Sergeant Gardner's kitchen where she settled against the counter so that she could keep an eye on what was going on inside her infirmary. Winking at Samara, who also noticed the doctor's pose, Shepard took the chair by the bed and smiled at Abby.

"We won't take up a lot of your time Dr. Gable," Jane said pleasantly and motioned to Samara. "I'd like to introduce you to Samara, she's a Justicar from the asari. Do you know what that is?"

The veterinarian hesitated as she looked at Samara before she slowly shook her head and glanced down. "No Commander," she said softly. "I'm afraid I don't. And... Please, you can call me Abby."

"In that case, you can call me Shepard – everybody else does," Jane pointed out and motioned to Samara. "Samara was the first Justicar that I met – they are not well known by people outside their own species." She smiled at the asari and motioned to her to come closer. "Would you care to explain?"

"Certainly Shepard," Samara said and nodded at Abby. "As I told Shepard, we uphold asari law. I have trained for years to be what I am, to bring those who are unjust to justice. Under asari law, I am allowed to disperse justice as my Code dictates. Do you understand?"

Abby looked at her for a long time then grimaced and dropped her gaze to her hands. "Did you deal with Fedora?" she asked carefully, her voice purposefully neutral.

Samara nodded ever so slightly, without offering an explanation or even an apology. As Shepard expected, she showed no remorse or hesitation over the mercenary's killing, she did not even try to justify her actions. She must've done that in the seconds before she decided to kill the asari.

Jane wondered if living by the Code was truly as simple as the Justicar made it out to be.

"We want to talk to you about the mercenaries," Shepard said, not changing the subject but shifting the focus. "They took you from Banrio correct?"

Abby frowned at the name but nodded slowly. "As far as I can tell yes," she said. "I was unconscious at the time and just... woke up on their ship." Her frown deepened but she didn't explain anything else. Samara raised an eyebrow and prompted her to continue.

"How so?" she queried. "What happened on the planet? Were you there alone?"

Abby hesitated, her hands twitching in her lap as she looked at the Justicar. "There were turians there," she said. "And the mercs – when they attacked." Her mouth thinned. "And the asari." She looked at Shepard. "And, I take it you're looking for her. Fedora and them were."

Not phased at all, Samara nodded. "Yes," she said. "The asari that they were looking for may be a very dangerous criminal. A murderer. I would like to know who she is, why she was there and where she is going to next."

There was a soft beep from Dr. Chakwas's station as Abby took a steadying breath, her eyes fixed on Samara. Through the window, Shepard saw Dr. Chakwas call up her omni-tool and look at something as Abby said tensely. "Fedora wanted to know that as well and I told her that I _don't know. _I kept insisting but she didn't believe me."

Before Samara could ask another question, Shepard held up her hand ever so slightly, stopping the Justicar. She then reached out and carefully put her hand on Abby's leg. "Start by what you do know," she said. "Tell us what happened on the planet. Maybe you know something that might help us without realizing it." A tremor ran through Abby's body as her arm jerked involuntarily. She grabbed that wrist with her other hand quickly, her hands now shaking noticeably as she visibly forced herself to relax, her dark eyes tense with concentration.

"I was in the middle of the gun fight," Abby said carefully. "I ran for cover in between some ruins. It was... Insane. There were explosions everywhere. A medic died in front of me..." She trailed off and sighed, her hands steady again. "There was a turian there who... Who asked me to look for the asari." She looked as if she regretted it. "I went out there and found her. She was hurt and... I had some medi-gel with me."

Samara carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, her gaze fixed on Abby. "Did you help her?" she queried.

Abby grimaced and shrugged. "I had to," she said softly. "I couldn't let her die."

"And tell me, how did she look?"

The vet shrugged again, looking worried. "Beautiful," she breathed then blinked and shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. "Bad. She had indigo eyes, a... funny tattoo here," Abby motioned to her cheek. "And, I don't know. She was a bit darker than you are... But not much." She fumbled suddenly, her cheeks colouring with embarrassment as she turned to Shepard. "Does that sound racist? I'm sorry – I didn't mean..."

Shepard chuckled, amused by the woman's discomfort. "It's alright," she said. "Don't worry – you're doing fine. Did she give you a name Abby?"

Abby looked at her for a long time, made to answer, but paused when the door opened suddenly, admitting Dr. Chakwas.

"Commander," the doctor said. "With respect, my patient's heart rate is much higher than it should be in her current condition. Until her body's replaced the synthetic plasma in her blood stream with true red blood cells, she can't deal with this type of strain. Her heart can't handle it, you two will have to end this and continue at a later stage." She marched over to the one drug cabinet without looking to them.

Shepard stood up and stepped back, but when she did so – Samara came closer, moving in between her and Abby so that she could take the woman's hand. Her eyes were desperate and this close, she could see that the asari frightened Abby.

"Did she give you a name?" Samara insisted, before Shepard could tell her to stand back. "Do you know who she is? Fedora said that she wanted to take you with her. Are you two lovers? Why were you on that planet with her?"

Abby pulled back sharply, though she didn't have the strength to move away from Samara.

"I don't even know how I got there!" She snapped, the anger in her voice startling both Shepard and Samara. "I don't know! How many times do I have to tell all of you? She tried to kill me! I know it! How can we be lovers? How? What the hell do you people want from me?"

Dr. Chakwas moved in swiftly, one angry looking enough to get Shepard to back away and drag Samara with her. "I want you to calm down Abigail," she said smoothly, injecting something into the vet's IV line. "And I need you to take deep breaths. Relax and breathe slowly. Come now... Commander? I need space to work." Abby was pale and shaking, her dark eyes fixed on Samara's face until Dr. Chakwas effectively moved in between them, lowering the bed's back frame as she did so. Abby remained sitting upright until the doctor sat down beside her and pushed her down carefully. "Breathe Abby," she said, her voice a little calmer. "Just, take one deep breath and hold it. Commander?"

"Going," Shepard said quickly, realizing that she had a death grip on Samara's arm to keep her from going back to the vet. "Come on Samara."

"Shepard..." The Justicar started but Jane pulled her towards the door.

"We're leaving," she said. "We'll come back later. I'm sorry Dr. Chakwas."

The doctor ignored her, but kept her attention focused on her patient as she spoke to her quietly. Knowing that it was smarter to leave at the doctor's request, Shepard took Samara out of the infirmary with her and marched her straight to the Starboard Observation Room. When the door shut behind them, Samara pulled out of her grip and fixed Shepard with such a look of betrayal that it hurt.

"She is putting up an act Shepard!" she said immediately. "That woman is lying."

Jane stepped back immediately, giving Samara space. "I don't think she's lying Samara," she said quickly. "But, she's scared. You scared her."

It didn't look as if it mattered to the Justicar as she paced the length of the room, looking just as deadly as she did that very first day that Shepard met her. "Only the unjust fear a justicar," she snapped. "If she fears me, she fears justice."

Shepard tried to smile and shrug. "Or, she's just really scared of asari," Shepard pointed out. "Being intimidated by you isn't unjust Samara, it's human. Normal."

Samara didn't think that it's funny as she turned an angry look to Shepard. "She is withholding information Shepard," she said. "By the Code I am allowed to..."

"You are still on my ship," Shepard said, flinching even as she said the words. She knew that Samara would not appreciate being reminded. "Follow me, not the Code – for just a moment longer. Just a moment. Please. I know you want to find out about this Ardat Yakshi, but that woman is the only link we have to her right now and if you scare her, if she doesn't feel safe enough to trust us, then you'll never find her."

When the Justicar didn't reply, but stopped by the window with her back turned towards Shepard, she decided to take a chance. She approached her slowly and put a light hand on her shoulder.

"I know you want to find out if it is one of your daughters Samara," she said. "But you have to be patient."

The asari turned to her, her features desperately devastated at Shepard's touch. "I cannot be patient when it comes to my children Shepard," she said. "Patience and hope is what had made Morinth get away from me in the beginning. I kept hoping that she would change; I thought that if I was patient enough that she would stop. My children are everything to me and now that Morinth is gone, I only have Falere and Rila left. And the Code." She said it like death sentence, because she knew that it would be her Code that would force her to kill another of her children if they were responsible for so much as one death.

Jane bit her lip, feeling overwhelmed by the woman's emotion, by her grief and her hope and her guilt. She wanted to touch her again, to draw her into an embrace and tell her that everything would be alright.

And, to tell her that she also had _her_ to lean on, that she would also be with her for as long as it was humanly possible. But, she couldn't, because she didn't know _how._ And, she didn't know whether Samara would appreciate it here, in this moment. So, she sighed with a deep sense of regret and moved to the door.

"When Dr. Chakwas allows us back into the infirmary I will ask her," she said. "We'll get the truth Samara, I promise. I'll find out if it is one of your daughters, if you cannot contact them before this, and if it is not one of them, we'll find out who she is and go after her. Just, sit tight okay? It will be alright."

_Hug her damn it, hug her!_

Samara looked at her for a long time then nodded slowly. Without looking at her, she sank down at her spot by the window and closed her eyes, her body posed as if she was starting to meditate. Rubbing her brow, thinking that life would've probably be simpler if she had just stayed dead, Jane left the room, hoping that both Samara and Dr. Chakwas would talk to her again.

_**The End of Chapter 11**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**AN: My time line for this is after Shepard rescued her crew from the Collectors, but – she has not yet helped Liara go after the Shadow Broker. Thank you all again for the reviews, it is appreciated. **_

**Dreaming. **

**She was dreaming, and in her dream – she was an asari.** And, she wasn't alone...

Breathing deeply to get her breath back, Abby stared across the landscape, intimidated and in awe by all the space around her. There were no signs of civilization around for miles, only trees and hills and the Twin Mountains that loomed in the distance, their shape dark against the piercingly blue sky. She found herself smiling as she sank down, taking a sip from the water that she had brought with her.

There were footsteps behind her as someone else ran up beside her. It was another asari, her cheeks flushed with exertion as her eager gaze took in the view around them. "It's amazing," she breathed and flopped down on the ground, purposefully dropping down so that she could push Abby. "It's so beautiful here."

Abby found herself smiling at the young asari and put her arm around her, offering her some water. "It's not the most beautiful thing around here. Don't drink too quickly; you'll get a tummy ache."

Her companion snorted and Abby realized suddenly that she was young, very young. "Eeuw man," she said. "Don't talk to me as if I'm a child. And I'm not beautiful."

She laughed, though it wasn't her own. "I wasn't saying _you're_ beautiful Risha," she said and pushed the young asari to the ground. "I was referring to that beetle we found earlier, it was stunning!" She leapt up and stuck out her tongue, even though she was actually too old to be doing it..

"Ga!" Risha exclaimed and scrambled to her feet. "If you're into bugs! Creepy little bugs! Do you want to marry a bug one day?"

"If it means getting away from you yes!" Abby laughed. "And you'll have to be nice to it because it will be my husband."

Risha started laughing, a sound that warmed Abby as she started running, prompting the young asari to chase her. "You'll have buggy eyed children! BUGGY EYED CHILDREN!"

_Children,_ Abby thought. _No..._

She stumbled.

* * *

><p><strong>Abby jerked awake, her body feeling as if it dropped into the bed.<strong> The person beside her blinked startled and quickly put a hand on her shoulder, making a soothing sound.

"It's alright Abby," Kelly Chambers said softly. "You're okay, it's just me. Did you have a bad dream?"

Struggling to remember where she was, Abby took a moment to collect her senses. When she looked up she realized that the IV bag was gone as, for that matter, was the doctor, Commander Shepard and the Justicar. Remembering her last conscious moments, she closed her eyes embarrassed and put her hand over her face.

"Hey," Kelly said softly and rubbed her arm. "It's okay, was it a really bad dream?"

Realizing that she _had_ to answer the young woman, Abby sighed and shrugged. "I fell," she said and took her hand away from her face so that she could look at the young secretary. "But that's nothing new. Where is everybody?"

Kelly smiled and squeezed her hand before she sat back. "They're asleep," she said. "We're on night cycle. I thought I'd sit here for a bit, just to make sure that you're comfortable when you wake up. The infirmary was empty so..."

Abby smiled bitterly and studied the young woman. "You can go to bed," she said softly. "I'll be fine."

Kelly smiled and sat closer, her green eyes studying Abby's features. "You say that a lot," she said. "It's okay to say that you're not you know?" She hesitated then confessed; "Dr. Chakwas explained to me about the Huntington's disease. If you wanna talk..."

Abby shook her head but took care to touch the young woman's arm briefly as she felt it was no use alienating _more_ people. "I've had it for a while Kelly," she said. "Whatever I've had to say about it..." She closed her eyes. "I've already said. This is my body and... I have to live with it now. There doesn't seem to be any escape."

The yeoman didn't reply immediately, but stared at her with genuine compassion. "Well," she said softly, "If you think of anything new to say, you can always talk to me. I'm a very good listener."

_I'm sure,_ Abby thought and dared to smile at her before she looked around the infirmary again. "Are you sure you don't want to go to bed Kelly? It must be very late." She had no idea what the time was. The younger woman shook her head and shrugged lightly, but Abby saw something in her gaze, a flash of dark fear.

"I'm not tired," she said. "Really. Can I get you anything?"

Abby raised an eyebrow and after taking a steadying breath, pushed herself up so that she sat upright. "I don't need anything," she said as she pulled her one leg up for balance and gave the young woman a hesitant smile. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say I'm not the only one who doesn't like what she's dreaming?"

Kelly blinked surprised and shifted back a bit. "Dr. Chakwas won't like it if you sit up without her," she said quickly. "Maybe you should lie down again?"

Abby shook her head and took another steadying breath, reaching out to massage her injured leg. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the leg wasn't as painful as she thought it would be. "What do you dream of Kelly?" she insisted.

"Tight spaces."

Both the women jumped in surprise as Dr. Chakwas's voice came from the corner. The lights brightened ever so slightly as Dr. Chakwas stood up from where she had been sitting in the corner, pulling a dark shawl around her shoulders. "Being trapped. Suffocating. Knowing that death is near, but you can't fight – can't get out." The two women shuddered simultaneously as the doctor joined them. She older in the dimmer light, her eyes haunted. Abby realized suddenly that she knew that they were referring to.

The Collector's ship.

"Shepard rescued us from the Collectors," Dr. Chakwas continued, as if she didn't see the two women's discomfort. "I still dream of it." She looked at Kelly, who dropped her gaze, confirming that she too still had nightmares. "Yeoman Chambers, I thought I told you to stay out of my infirmary?"

Kelly stuttered a reply but the doctor held up her hand. "While you're here you might as well make yourself useful," she said. "I think that Dr. Gable would appreciate a shower. We might as well start putting some weight on that leg before it gets too stiff." She looked at the veterinarian. "Are you up to it?"

Abby nodded immediately, but glanced around the room to see if there was anybody _else_ hiding there. "I would appreciate it," she said. "Tell me... Commander Shepard and the Justicar..."

"They are sleeping," Dr. Chakwas said immediately. "We're the only ones who are awake that you should be concerned about. Why don't you try and shift off of the bed?"

She swallowed, and nodded again but didn't move immediately.

"I'm sorry I reacted the way I did... before..." Abby hesitated. "I didn't mean to lose my temper with them. Heaven forbid, I'm old enough to know how to control myself. I was just..."

"Scared," Dr. Chakwas said gently. "They know. I shouldn't have let them both put so much pressure on you." She sighed and studied Abby with a stern look. "Commander Shepard wants to talk to you again in the morning. Though I won't force you to, I urge you strongly to do so Dr. Gable, she can help you. If you're in trouble, or you are running from someone, it's better to be upfront with her."

Abby slowly shifted her legs off of the bed, grateful that the doctor's assistant had given her a pair of loose pants to wear earlier. "Is that a warning Dr. Chakwas?" she queried softly and allowed the woman to slip a supporting arm into hers.

"No Abigail," Dr. Chakwas said simply. "It's advice."

* * *

><p><strong>She felt better after her shower, amazed at how quickly her leg was healing.<strong> Abby stood under the water much longer than was necessary, allowing the warmth to wash over her, cleansing all of the last remaining dirt from the turian planet and the mercenary's box from her. Dr. Chakwas and Kelly remained close at hand, but left her till she requested their help. They didn't seem in a hurry and she was in no mood to rush it.

She had to think.

Abby knew that she was going to have to tell Shepard _something._ She owed the woman as much for rescuing her but then again she knew that it was impossible to explain to her everything. How could she possibly explain her predicament without sounding mad? Or insane? An idea came and went to hide behind the dementia associated with Huntington's, but she pushed the thought from her mind immediately.

No use calling things down on her that she would encounter eventually.

She snorted and rubbed her hand over her face, watching the water trial down the drain. Unable to help herself, she found her mind returning to Asura as she wondered where the asari could be and in what kind of trouble she really was...

And, for that matter, why she didn't feel like sharing her name with anybody...

* * *

><p><strong>A lot of information brokers thought it good to do business in Omega's Afterlife.<strong> The club's security was excellent at finding weapons, even the ones that people didn't want to be found. Part of it was to protect the club goers but most of it was because of Aria T'Loak's infamous paranoia. You didn't become the Pirate Queen of Omega by not paying attention to the finer details of what people were hiding in their briefs.

Asura didn't trust the brokers who worked in Afterlife as she could never make herself trust the privacy a loud clamour provided. When there was only noise around you, you could never tell who was listening. She preferred to use the brokers in plain sight, those who hardly anybody knew of. They were well hidden, so subtly positioned that one would never knew where they were unless they wanted you to.

Moving idly through the streets of Omega, Asura walked around until a turian approached her. He wore an Omega guard's uniform, but his colours were subtly different. He smiled at her politely and made a brief motion with his hand.

"Can I help you ma'am?" he said. "These parts aren't safe to be in."

She nodded at him politely, crossing her arms in front of her chest as if it was enough to hold her back. "Yes," she said smoothly, smiling with just a hint of seduction. "I'm looking for a friend of mine and I'm wondering if you could find her? Or any information related to her?"

"We live to serve," the turian said. "What particulars can you give me?"

Asura smiled and took out a sketch from her jacket pocket.

"Her name is Abigail," she said. "And I saw her last on Bonria – but she was taken by mercenaries. To my knowledge, she was rescued by Commander Jane Shepard. I would like to know who she is and if possible – where the Normandy is currently."

The turian took the sketch and looked at it for a moment before he nodded and turned away from her.

"We'll see what we can do for you," he said. "Liara T'soni will get back to you shortly."

_**The End of Chapter 12 **_


	13. Chapter 13

_**AN: My apologies for the delay in updating. I've been ill, which also meant that I worked on this bit by bit. It... struggled a bit, writing between sleeping doesn't work... Thank you for all the reviews still, and the favourites. **_

**Release **

"**Have you introduced yourself to the ship's AI yet?" **

Abby blinked up out of her thoughts, turning to Dr. Chakwas as she shifted her weight so that it briefly rested on her leg which had been shot, testing its endurance. "AI?" she said stupidly, then realized that she probably sounded like a complete ignoramus.

Punching in a code on the elevator, Dr. Chakwas smiled and nodded, moving to stand on the opposite side of it as the doors closed to bear them upwards. "Yes," she said. "EDI?"

"Yes Dr. Chakwas?" Abby looked up when the AI answered, the disembodied voice joining them in the elevator.

"EDI, this is Dr. Gable, your newest passenger," Dr. Chakwas turned to Abby. "EDI is the ship's artificial intelligence. You can say that she _is_ the Normandy, but I like to think of her as a separate entity. She has been a valuable member of our crew and was personally responsible for saving the life of our pilot when the Collectors attacked us."

Abby fumbled when she realized that she probably had to say something. In the game she rarely paid the AI any mind as her own personal bias had kept her from thinking that _anything_ that's not breathing could be trusted. "Err, hello," she said, feeling stupid because there was nobody to look in the eye. The elevator stopped, causing her to winch as she put too much weight on her leg.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Dr. Gable," EDI said smoothly. "I look forward to looking down on you for the rest of your stay."

When Abby didn't know how to respond, Dr. Chakwas smiled and offered the woman her arm so that they could walk out of the elevator. "She has a strange sense of humour. Thank you EDI, send my regards to Jeff and tell him he is being a stranger."

Leaning on Dr. Chakwas so that she didn't put her full weight on her injured leg, Abby limped out of the elevator, still amazed at how quickly she was up and running. She had slept like a log after her shower the night before and woke up well after mid morning. She had felt refreshed, her personal discomfort down to a minimum. Kelly had brought her breakfast, which had been better than any meal she had ever had in a hospital, and a set of standard Cerberus clothes. Although nobody said anything, she knew that they expected her to see Commander Shepard that morning. Realizing that she could not avoid it forever, she decided to face the human Spectre and get it over with.

If they wanted to throw her out of the airlock, let them do it sooner rather than later.

"You don't have to look so worried," Dr. Chakwas said when they stopped by the Commander's door. "Jane is... The best Commander I have ever served with. I have nothing but the highest respect for her because she always makes the right decision. Despite her history, she is not biased and she gives everybody an equal chance. Even geth."

Abby wanted to ask what Shepard's history was, given that in the game gave you an option to choose, but she didn't have the heart to form the question into words. Instead she swallowed and nodded tightly, feeling her stomach turn when Dr. Chakwas went back to the elevator. "She'll be out in a moment," Dr. Chakwas said and smiled at her. "I'll be back for you." The elevator door closed, leaving her alone in the bridge between Shepard's room and the elevator.

She brought up a shaky hand to rub over her face before she wrung her hands together and looked up to the ceiling. "EDI?" She queried softly, not surprised when she heard the AI reply to her almost immediately.

"Yes Dr. Gable?"

She shook her head. "Just checking if you're still around," she pointed out, still feeling stupid to talk to a machine. "Sorry for bothering you."

"Not at all Dr. Gable." The door opened a second later and Abby once again found herself face to face with the hero of the Citadel and the destroyer of the Collector base.

Jane Shepard was a couple of inches taller than she was, her hair a light auburn colour and green eyes sparkling with… Something. It wasn't amusement or intrigue. It was simply… a light. Mischief perhaps, mixed in with an iron resolve that had seen her do the impossible several times. Abby was daunted suddenly and didn't know what to say, feeling like she felt when she faced her first panel of vets for an exam.

"Abby," Jane said warmly. "It's good to see you here. Please, come in."

She stepped aside and motioned the woman into her room. Abby swallowed and steeled herself, limping into the room, hoping that she wouldn't do something stupid like fall on her face. The woman's office looked as she had anticipated, right down to the empty fish tank. When Jane caught her looking at it she smiled embarrassed and made a vague motion with her hand, offering her arm to Abby to help her down the few stairs to the living area.

"I never had this when I was in the Alliance," she said. "Cerberus doesn't know the term 'bare necessities'. I've tried keeping the fish alive but…" She shrugged. "I'm more of a dog person myself."

Abby smiled slightly and sat down gratefully, happy that the woman had given them a topic to start on. "I tried to keep a tank in my practice," she said. "But… I never quite got the cycling right. I gave up on it."

Jane chuckled softly and shrugged as she sat down opposite Abby. "I decided that they didn't enjoy high speed space travel," she said casually. "Where is your practice?"

Abby hesitated. "Earth," she said. "England. The address isn't important I'm sure."

The spectre shook her head and sat back, folding her hands over her knee. "No," she said. "Tell me, what are you doing out here in the galaxy?"

Abby barked a laugh and shrugged. "I ask myself that every moment," she said truthfully and took a steadying breath. "Commander Shepard, I have to apologise for my behaviour yesterday. I was not myself and…" She struggled. "I don't know what came over me in those last moments. I'm sorry."

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Jane smiled, her features becoming a little bit more polite when she realized that the small talk was over. "It was understandable," she said. "I have to apologise for Samara's behaviour. She should not have continued questioning you when Dr. Chakwas told us to leave."

Abby frowned and shrugged, knowing that she didn't really deserve an apology. "She did it, not you," she said softly. "You don't have to apologise. If anything, I have to apologise to Samara as well." She could just imagine how well _that_ meeting will go. "I had thought that she would be present here."

Jane shook her head and stood up. "Can I get you something to drink?" she asked. "Some coffee? Or tea?"

Abby didn't want to give her the impression that she wanted to get comfortable. "I'm fine thanks." She saw the way Jane raised her eyebrow slightly and sat back again.

"Okay," the woman said. "Right." She paused and seemed to collect her words. "Samara's not here because this can _potentially_ become a very delicate conversation for her. I asked her to remain in her room and only contact you when you approach her. This was a request though, not an order." Abby nodded slowly, but waited for Shepard to continue, not sure what to say. Jane continued unhindered, her emerald gaze never leaving hers as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and clasping her hands in front of her in a gesture she had used a lot in the video game. "Abby, do you know _anything_ of the asari Fedora was looking for? The one who was present on the planet?"

Taking a steadying breath to still her unease, Abby slowly shook her head. "Fedora said that she was an Ardat Yakshi," she said. "I... I don't understand what that means. As I've told you, all I know is that she was hurt and I rescued her. I had never seen her before in my life. I know I sound like a broken record player but it's true."

Jane nodded slowly her face unreadable. "I realize that you must only have seen her for an instant," she said softly. "But – did she look like Samara?"

Abby blinked. "She was an asari," she pointed out. "They all... Look the same." She saw a slight look of disapproval on Jane's features, as if she had made a socially unacceptable comment but the Commander quickly hid her irritation.

"Think Abby," she said sternly. "Are you sure she didn't give you a name? A hint as to who she was? She might well be a dangerous killer – most Ardat Yakshi who wander in populated space are. Samara and I met one a few months ago... Samara had to kill her though it wasn't easy."

_Of course,_ Abby thought suddenly, her blood running cold. _Samara's daughter was an Ardat Yakshi._ She had not made the connection before, she hadn't even truly thought of what the word meant but... _No,_ _it couldn't be, _her common sense told her_._ _She touched me and I survived... But... She meant to kill me. She said so herself – or rather, she had been surprised that I _lived.

"What are you thinking?" Jane asked softly, seeing the look in Abby's eyes. "I can see you've thought of something. If you've remembered anything Abby..."

Abby looked at her, her mouth dry and her mind working like lightening.

Samara's daughters had been Ardat Yakshi, or still were. That was why the woman was so insistent to know what the asari looked like, to have some conformation that it wasn't another one of her children who had gone rogue. She didn't want to know that she was going to have to kill another one of her daughters. She could hardly imagine that Samara could've already worked through that loss, considering the busy couple of weeks the crew of the Normandy must've had.

"Abby?"

She didn't realize that Shepard had stood up to touch her till the woman's fingers brushed against her shoulder. Abby flinched back involuntarily, but immediately gave Jane an apologetic look. "Sorry," she said quickly. "I was... thinking. Just, give me a moment."

The woman nodded and went back to her seat as Abby rubbed her hands together and clenched them in her lap, looking towards the empty fish tank.

Asura _had_ been surprised that she lived, Abby finally decided. She meant to kill her, because Abby knew her name. Because she had shared it willingly, probably in a time she didn't think she would make it through her ordeal. Then, when Abby helped her, she had to flee again – from whatever reason the mercenaries wanted her. She was clearly dangerous.

Abby grimaced and felt nauseous suddenly, as if she had decided to betray a part of herself. "I have a name," she told Shepard. "Her name. That's all I can give you."

Shepard smiled at her, relief clear in her green eyes - and approval. It felt like a weight to Abby, because she could still not shake the feeling that she should not share Asura's particulars with _anybody_. The young asari from her dream came and went in memory and for a moment, the youth's eyes stared at her in betrayal, not admiration.

"That's enough Abby," Shepard said and stood up. "Please, could you do me a favour and tell it to Samara. Before you tell me – she has the right to decide what to do with it. If she chooses not to share it with me, respect her wishes." She gave Abby a pointed look as she came over and held out a hand to help her up.

Abby nodded, unsure of the request. "Of course ma'am," she said and allowed herself to be pulled up. "If that's what you think is best."

* * *

><p><strong>Shepard took her down to the Starboard Observation Room but left her there so that she could confront the Justicar on her own.<strong> She didn't feel like doing it, as she had never been fond of potential confrontation and never considered herself to be strong of will – something she thought might be necessary to deal with the thousand year old asari. But, Shepard wanted her to do it on her own and – for the Commander's sake, she'd try.

The way she figured it could also not go any worse than her last meeting with the asari. She was about to push the room's keypad when she felt someone watching her. When she turned around she saw Dr. Chakwas standing by the elevator, smiling at her. It made her feel better so she smiled at the woman and pushed the lock with a steadier hand. The room door opened immediately and she stepped inside slowly, anticipating that it would shut behind her. She had predicted Samara to be on the floor meditating but was surprised to find that she was seated on one of the chairs by the book case, staring off into space. She didn't move when Abby stepped inside, but her eyes turned towards the vet – her features ageless.

Abby wondered if she should bow, or salute, or show _some_ sign of respect but nothing came to mind.

"Can I help you Abigail Gable?"

She blinked and smiled slightly, shaking her head. "Please don't call me that," she said. "I don't know what possessed my parents to give me that name. It's a phonetic nightmare for a child."

The Justicar raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything else. Rubbing her brow, Abby took a hesitant step forward till she could lean against one of the chairs pointing towards the window. She could sense immediately that the asari would not appreciate it if she tried to beat around the bush so she got straight to the point.

"Her name is Asura Dushkriti," she said, feeling as if the name was torn from her mouth. "The asari who tried to kill me and who everybody is looking for. The name was important to her; she didn't like it that I knew it. I'm sorry for not sharing this earlier."

If she wasn't waiting for it, she would've missed the way Samara closed her eyes for the briefest moment, exhaling in what could only be relief. _It wasn't one of her daughters._

"Thank you Abby," the Justicar breathed and moved for the first time, standing up so that she could come closer to where Abby was standing. "You say that she tried to kill you? How so?"

That she was most definitively _not_ going to explain. "She hit me with something," she said vaguely. "I think. I lost consciousness very quickly and only came too when I was in the mercenaries' ship."

Samara frowned at her and motioned to the one seat. "A weapon or her biotics?" the woman queried but Abby shook her head, moving back towards the door. She had said what she wanted to say.

"I don't know," she said. "It happened very quickly."

Samara nodded, but her eyes told Abby that she wasn't done yet. "Why did you not tell this to me sooner?" she queried. "Have you told Commander Shepard?"

The vet's mouth thinned as she shrugged. "I didn't want to tell you," she said honestly. "I don't know why – it just felt _wrong_ somehow. And I told Commander Shepard that I know the name, but she said I must share it with you first. Let you decide whether or not you want to share it." She hesitated. "I'll respect your wishes."

Samara nodded slowly, still studying her. "An Ardat Yakshi has the ability to control people's thoughts and deeds," she said. "You are very strong to be able to resist that, to tell me."

Abby snorted and shook her head, feeling a pang of pain and regret when she remembered an argument from her previous life. Her mother had worked up her brother to tell her to close her practice, to settle down and go on disability to preserve her strength. So that she may _live_ longer, free of stress.

"_You are not strong anymore Abby,"_ her brother had said. _"We can all see this – no use pushing yourself to do things that you can't. You'll only upset yourself further, not to mention Mother..."_ Those words had hit her deeply and she felt, for the first time, as if there was truly nothing left to carry on for. If she was to settle back and do nothing, she might as well lie down and die...

She pulled herself back from the memory and found that Samara was looking at her, her pale blue eyes studying her intently. Abby swallowed and moved to the door.

"I'm not strong," she said. "I don't think I ever was. I'm certainly not now." She held up her shaky hand to prove a point and made to leave but Samara shifted, the noise pulling her back to look at the woman. She realized that the asari was now standing quite close to her, looking down on her with a wisdom that could only come with age. And, she was smiling, her relief still evident.

"You'll be surprised where people can find their strength Abigail," she said and moved to the position she used to occupy in the game, sinking down in front of the window to meditate. "Especially here. If you see Shepard, tell her to come here – I will debrief her on what we will do next."

**The End of Chapter 13**


	14. Chapter 14

_**AN: Not much to say, save for a real life wave to my assistant who was invaluable at the practice today. Thank**__**you very much again to everybody who have reviewed and all the interest in this fic, I really appreciate it. **_

**Expressing Interest. **

**After her brief meeting with Samara, Abby went back to the medi bay to rest. **Shepard went down to the crew deck but, although she wanted to, she didn't approach Samara's room, knowing that the Justicar would seek her out when she needed her. Instead, she went to Miranda to check up on the woman and see what she was doing. She was surprised to find that Miranda looked quite happy to see her, something that rarely happened.

"I need to talk to you about something," the ex-Cerberus officer said when she entered her room, immediately closing the door behind Shepard. "Please Commander, take a seat."

Shepard raised an eyebrow and sat down, smiling at Miranda as she fussed around her desk, procuring a data pad. "You only call me Commander when you are about to tell me something that I don't like," she pointed out. "What's up Miranda?"

The woman raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow and handed the data pad to Shepard before stepping back. "I've never noticed," she said honestly. "Shepard, I did some cross referencing on our Dr. Gable, don't look at me like that, I like to know who we have onboard our ship."

Not sure how she should feel about it, Shepard glanced at the data pad before she put it down, knowing that Miranda was going to give her the low down anyway. "What did you find?" she said. "Is she some dangerous criminal on the run?"

Miranda snorted. "It would've been easier if she was," she said. "That woman doesn't exist, Shepard. Since we've heard of her condition, I've run a search in every major genetic laboratory and counselling centre for any references to patients with Huntington's Disease. There is no mention of her, none with her name, none with her description and most definitively nobody on Earth."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, giving her second in command a curious look. "How did you come by this data so quickly?" she queried. Miranda's body stiffened momentarily as she stared at her defiantly, a look she generally got whenever they spoke about the projects that she was involved with when she was still with Cerberus.

"When I was doing my research for Project Lazarus, I looked for volunteers who could assist me with trial protocols," she said. "I had an extensive list of all potential candidates. Patients with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis even Guillian-Barre cases. I remember thinking that I would've loved to have a patient with Huntington's Disease, as they would've been prime candidates to study nerve regeneration on."

Shepard shifted back and gave her a sad look, feeling that she had to make a comment on Miranda's sentence. "You say patients," she said softly. "But you mean test subjects, don't you Miranda?"

The woman didn't deny it, instead choosing to shrug as she moved in behind her desk. "The research will benefit them eventually," she said. "We did something that had never been done before Shepard. We rebuild a human body. Yes, you have upgrades as you like to call them, but you are still you. You have muscles, you bleed, you can lift up your hand and play the piano if you so chooses. A lot of these patients will get the same opportunities thanks to what we did."

Shepard gave Miranda a very long look. She _was_ grateful for what they did, now. But, there was a time that she felt more like a tool than a human being. One of the reasons she defied the Illusive Man was to prove to herself that she _could_. That she was not just his pawn.

"So, she's not on your list," she said simply, satisfied when Miranda looked at her in irritation. It was very easy to vex the woman.

"She's not on _anybody's_ list," Miranda pointed out. "I've checked everything. Extensively. No medical records, no travel records, no records of her practice in England..." She stumbled a bit and blinked embarrassed when Shepard frowned at her. "EDI told me, I wasn't listening to your whole conversation Jane."

Shepard snorted and made a motion with her hand. "You read my mail," she pointed out. "What's to stop you from listening in on my conversations?"

Miranda looked hurt. "Respect Shepard," she said. "I respect you enough not to do that anymore. I won't lie and say that we left you in private when we were with Cerberus, but we're not. Not now. EDI told me."

"Okay," Jane said, deciding to let the conversation about who was spying on who be for the time being. "So, she doesn't exist? Should we ask her what her alias is?"

The woman frowned and shrugged, sitting down behind her desk. "That's up to you Commander," she said. "I would like to have a closer look at her, but Dr. Chakwas doesn't want me to examine her at the moment. I might be able to tell us more of her genetics. It could be that she was engineered as a test subject, there would be traces of that. I'd like to explore all options."

Shepard blinked and gave the woman a curious look. "Hang on," she said. "Back up, you think she might've come from a lab?"

"That's one of the possibilities yes," Miranda said. "I think she was definitively placed in Banrio. People don't just appear out of nowhere in the middle of a mercenary raid. Given that Cerberus now has a price on all of our heads, I don't want to take any chances. She might be an innocent bystander, but she might also be a mole. I suggest we keep her here until we know which of the two she is. And, I would _really_ like to examine her Shepard, I know what one can do to a human body."

Shepard nodded, sensing that the conversation was over. "I'll talk to Chakwas," she said. "Thank you for looking into this Miranda."

"Of course Shepard," the dark haired woman said. "Thank you for hearing me out."

* * *

><p>"<strong>Come with me,"<strong> Abby blinked up out of her thoughts to see Kelly standing in front of her bed smiling. She hadn't been sleeping, but lay there in the quiet of the medi bay because she had nowhere else to go. Seeing the young woman in front of her, Abby wasn't sure whether she should be relieved or cautious.

Kelly looked far too pleased with herself. "Do you need help getting up?"

_God no, not yet,_ Abby thought and sat up, moving off of the bed stiffly. "I'm fine," she said. "Where are we going?"

Kelly smiled and almost dragged her forward. "I've asked around and found you a temporary room," she said. "I don't think you'll like sleeping in the medi bay all the time – but I also don't think you'd like bunking with the rest of us. So, I've asked one of our contract crew members whether they'd be willing to share with you."

She had to blink at the young woman, thinking that if it was Jack she was to fake a very _serious_ disease to remain in the medi bay. "Err... I'd hate to inconvenience anybody."

"Nonsense," Kelly said warmly. "She'll love to have you. It's just a short walk. You look much better today."

"Thanks," Abby muttered and fell in next to the Yeoman with a sigh. "Am I allowed to leave the medi bay?"

"Of course," Kelly said. "Commander Shepard said that I should make sure that you are comfortable and Dr. Chakwas said that you should come back once a day for her to look at your leg. So yes, you can leave – you just have to come back. I heard you were a vet? My sister runs an animal shelter."

Abby nodded, remembering it from her game. "That's nice," she said. "I used to do some pro bono work for registered charities in my practice. There aren't enough people out there doing what's right."

"That's why my sister said," Kelly confirmed, stopping in front of the Port Observation Deck. She didn't press the button immediately though but gave Abby a curious look, her eyes searching.

"It must be hard being a vet now," she said softly. "Knowing that you won't be able to continue doing it? You need your hands."

Abby was almost angry that Kelly brought the subject up but sighed and schooled herself to patience. "You really want to talk to me about this don't you?" she said softly. "Kelly – I don't need you to shrink me."

The Yeoman blinked and took a step back. "Who says I was trying to shrink you?" she said a bit too defensively. "I'm just..."

"Trying to make conversation?" An amused voice said as Abby felt an arm draped over her shoulders. "Don't worry Doc, Kelly tries to shrink everybody. It's endearing." Kasumi Goto appeared, her tactical cloak disappearing around her so that she could fix the yeoman with a stern look. "But also sometimes a little bit inappropriate."

Kelly sniffed and crossed her to arms. "I just want to make sure that everybody is alright," she said. "Sue me for caring."

To Abby's surprise, Kasumi laughed and stepped up to the young woman so that she could give her a peck on the cheek. "We'll love you instead Kelly," she said. "I should tell you Doc, she is the heart and soul of this place. We don't know what we'll do without her, though we can dream sometimes."

Kelly smiled and winked at Kasumi, the woman's comment clearly forgiven. "I'll leave you two to get to know each other," she said. "You're in good hands Abby. See you." She left as Kasumi chuckled and opened the door, pushing Abby inside.

"She's a good kid," the thief said as the door closed behind them. "A bit too flirtatious but good. Don't let her push you around and don't let her fish if you don't want her to. She's a psychiatrist you know? You were dead on."

Abby glanced around the room before she smiled politely. "I figured," she said. "Ahm... I'm Abby and you're Kasumi right?" She held out her hand which Kasumi took with a smile.

"The one and only," she said. "I'm also a stray Shepard picked up." She winked. "At a price of course. Can I get you anything to drink? We made you a bed on the couch – there wasn't another mattress around. But, you don't have to worry – it is very comfortable. You'll certainly sleep better here than in the medi bay. The view is superb."

Abby held up her hand and went to sit down without asking for permission. "I'm fine," she said. "I don't drink alcohol. I hope this won't be an inconvenience for you."

Kasumi waved the comment off with a smile. "Normally it's just me and Keiji," she said. "So, I'd love some interactive company. Here's some fruit juice, I'm sure you're allowed that at least."

Frowning, Abby accepted the glass Kasumi had brought to her from the bar and rested it in her lap. "Keiji?" she queried though she already knew.

"Ah!" Kasumi said with a smile. "You don't know... Well, let me tell you..."

* * *

><p>"<strong>Commander, you've received a new message at your terminal."<strong>

Jane, who was just coming back to her desk , smiled at her assistant. "Thanks Kelly," she said and moved past her to her own console. "Who send it?"

"Dr. Liara T'soni ma'am."

Shepard blinked and paused before she opened it. "I'll read it in my room," she said and turned to the elevator. "Thank you."

She hadn't heard from Liara ever since she left Illium save for a short message to congratulate her on defeating the Collectors. Their last words had not been on good terms. Shepard had been angry at Liara's obsessive hunt for the Shadow Broker, unable to believe that two years had changed the meek scientist into a murderous information broker. She had wanted Liara to come with them to face the Collectors, but the young asari refused. She was angry at Shepard too, though Jane couldn't quite understand why. She had Liara had been close before her death. There had even been a moment of romantic interest but the mission came first and Shepard took a very dim view on dating crew members. Despite her age, Liara had been too young for anything serious and Shepard wanted the youth to make sure that she wanted the relationship and not just a fling to take her mind off of the danger that they were facing with Saren.

Liara had also confessed that she had been responsible for handing Shepard's body over to Cerberus, something else that vexed the Commander.

"_Why couldn't you just bury me?"_ She had snapped at the woman she had once known. _"You had my body, why couldn't you just leave me in peace?" _She had still been angry, the feeling of being a tool too raw for her to approach Liara objectively. The asari had looked at her with so much loss, so much fury that it was hard to meet her gaze.

"_Because I can't let you go!"_ she had yelled, loud enough for all of Illium to hear. _"I can't give up on you Shepard! I couldn't!"_ Shepard had left her office shortly after that and their interaction had been limited since then. She should've called, she knew – but she wouldn't have known what to say.

In her personal room, Shepard took a seat by her desk, glancing at the overturned portrait on her desk. Grimacing, she sighed and opened up her message.

_Shepard,_ it read. _It seems that you have picked up an interesting passenger. A client in Omega is looking for information on a woman named Abigail that has joined your crew. Don't be afraid, I haven't done a transaction, but I am curious as to who she is. When next you're near, come to Illium. It would be good to see you again._

Jane snorted and shook her head, sitting back in anger as she looked to her desk. _Typical,_ she thought. _Again, the only reason people ever contact me is because they need something. She doesn't even ask how I am. It's almost worse than Ashley. _

She hadn't heard anything from the Gunnery Sergeant since their departure from Horizon.

_A thank you would've been nice._

"Shepard?" EDI called her attention softly, pulling her from her thoughts. "Samara wants to see you, she is coming up with the elevator."

Despite her mood, Shepard chuckled and stood up, mentally preparing herself to meet the Justicar and face whatever news she was going to bring. "There's no other way for her to come up EDI," she pointed out. "Thank you for letting me know." She hesitated. "Is she upset?"

"Her heart rate is stable Shepard," the AI said. "She appears to be calm."

That was hardly an answer as the Justicar _always_ appeared calm. None the less, Shepard nodded and stepped away from her desk and Liara's message. _She can wait,_ she thought bitterly. _I won't be used by her. Not again._

**The End of Chapter 14**


	15. Chapter 15

_**AN: And another... **_

**Dushkriti**

**Jane Shepard felt strangely nervous when she opened the door for Samara, her eyes immediately moving to the asari's face so that she could catch some hint as to what she was feeling. **She hoped against all hope that it wasn't one of Samara's daughters that had been on Banrio because she knew then the Justicar would leave them immediately to continue her hunt.

Samara's eyes held no emotion when she stepped into Jane's room, her face serene and ageless, showing her wisdom and her years. Yet, when the door closed behind her she turned to Jane and smiled, a beautiful – kind smile that immediately released the tight ball of tension Jane felt in her heart.

"It is not one of my daughters," she said. "Thank the Goddess."

Jane found herself grinning and for a moment stepped forward to touch the woman, putting her hand in the crook of her elbow as she smiled up at her. "Samara, I am very glad to hear that."

Samara smiled at her and briefly put her hand on Jane's, squeezing it before she stepped away and turned to the empty fish tank. It was the magnet in her room that drew everybody's gaze and it was a joke whispered in silence that Jane Shepard could save the galaxy from sentient machines, but could not do as simple a task as keep her fish alive.

"Where do we go from here?" Jane queried, realizing that there was still a chance that Samara might leave her, pulled away by the Code she practiced. The asari stared at the fish tank for a second longer before she turned to her, meeting Jane's gaze.

"We?"

Jane swallowed, her heart clenching. "I would like to see this through," she said. "There is nothing pressing that we have to do at the moment. And, for now – we have more resources available than you would on your own. That is... if you can stand to be here for just a moment longer." She said the last lightly but the sentence made Samara's eyes widen ever so slightly.

"Being here is not unpleasant Jane," she said quickly. "This was never about that."

The human quickly held up her hands in defence. "I know," she said quickly. "I meant it as a joke. I'm sorry..."

Samara's mouth thinned to a smile and she looked at Jane suddenly with so much sadness that it felt as if she had lost her already. "I can't stay here forever Jane," she said. "At some point, our paths will split." She hesitated. "And, when that day comes it will feel as if I am leaving a part of myself with you. But..." She smiled. "That won't be now. If your mission can afford it, I would like to pursue this venture with you. I think that Abby holds more answers, though we haven't figured out which questions to ask yet. I can't take her with me as, on my own, I cannot take care of any health challenges that she might have. And, if something happens to her it would be a political nightmare. Justicars might be above politics but we are not blind to it."

Jane stared at the asari, the relief in her heart like a rush. She smiled and nodded. "I'm glad to hear that Samara," she said. "You are a valuable member of this crew and it will be... terrible when you leave." She paused, thinking about what Samara said. "I will lose a part of myself."

Samara smiled at her, a soft, gentle smile that warmed Jane's heart. To her surprise, the Justicar stepped out and touched her hand, briefly bringing it up to her cheek so that she could plant a light kiss on it. "You have been a good friend to me Jane Shepard," she said softly. "Come, assemble who you trust to be in on this. I'll tell you what I know of Asura Dushkriti."

* * *

><p>"<strong>Dushkriti is an old family name in the Asari,"<strong> Samara was saying in the briefing room. "They were among the first to sit on the council and are held in high regard in our society." She glanced at Shepard who kept her face neutral as she made a vague motion with the hand.

"The name sounds familiar," the human Spectre said and turned to Miranda who was also present. "Is there any reason I should know it?"

Miranda raised an eyebrow and shared a look with Samara who stepped forward to explain. "Councilwoman Tevos took over from a Dushkriti," she pointed out. "She wrote some of the final amendments on the Spectre contract you signed. Her name was Raile."

Shepard raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "That could be it," she said. "Any chance that she might be family of this Asura?"

Samara nodded and spread her hands as she explained. "I have a theory," she said. "Like myself, Raile Dushkriti is a pureblood. Her family has always been very vocal about the purity of the asari. Raile herself wasn't as biased as some of her family members, which was why she could take a seat on the council, but it was well known that she preferred asari lovers to aliens. Now, if memory serves me correctly, she retired quite quickly, without warning and no real reason as she was very good at what she did. She has no daughters on record which is very strange as well."

"How so?" Miranda queried.

Samara's eyes softened slightly when she looked at the Cerberus Officer. "We live for thousands of years Miranda," she said. "Our children are our companions and our legacy. When we reach the matron stage we are compelled to have them. More often than not it is only they who accompany us into the future. Not our bondmates."

Miranda's mouth thinned but she said nothing as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and turned to Shepard. It was a strange gesture, as if she had to reassure herself with the woman's presence before she could look at Samara again.

"So," she said levelly. "I presume you're implying that Asura was _her_ daughter – and that she retired from politics either when she realized that she was pregnant or when her daughter became and Ardat Yakshi. The daughter that she never had."

Jane shifted. "If she was very influential she could've wiped Asura from record," she said. "It can be done."

Samara nodded and motioned to Miranda. "With your permission I would like access to some of your databanks," she said. "I know that Cerberus keeps records on everybody and everything. I would like to see if I can track down Raile so that we may go and speak to her about her daughter or rather, her _retirement_."

Miranda nodded, uncrossing her arms as she shrugged. "Those files don't belong to Cerberus anymore," she said with a touch of regret. "Help yourself – you can use my office if you want to."

Samara inclined her head ever so slightly and moved to the door. "Thank you," she said. "I'll go there now. Hopefully by tonight I'll be able to tell you more." She left without another word, leaving Miranda and Shepard to stare at the door.

Miranda sniffed sharply and turned to Shepard. "Have you spoken to Chakwas?" She put her hand in her hip in what Shepard always thought was a very passive aggressive gesture. She nodded, though she knew that Miranda was not going to like the answer.

"She said not today," she said. "She wants Abby to settle in a bit before we run any invasive tests on her. She said that she'll see how she is tomorrow and let you know. Meanwhile she wants a full protocol on what you want to do to her."

Rolling her eyes with an exasperated sigh, Miranda gave Shepard a sideways glance. "Is it too much for me to ask for you to overrule her?"

Shepard chuckled softly and nodded. "I have to agree with Dr. Chakwas. There's no use alienating the woman now, I think she's going to be with us for a while until we've figured out what to do with her and where to leave her."

Raising her one hand in an extravagant gesture, Miranda rolled her eyes again and turned her back to Shepard. "I guess I'll have to take what I can get," she said. "But, as Samara is using my terminal now, I'm going to use _yours_ to write this protocol. If this woman blows up in our face, I'd like to point out that I will go to great pains to tell you that I warned you."

Shepard smiled, though she knew that there was no animosity in Miranda's words. "I'll accept that," she said. "And yes, you can use my terminal even though you didn't ask for permission. I'm going to see what our guest is up to."

* * *

><p>"<strong>Would you like to see what Keiji looked like?"<strong> Kasumi queried as she dropped her hood and took off her head set. "I've got it paused on a memory." She looked at Abby in expectation, seated across from her on the couch that hadn't been turned into a bed.

Abby hesitated, realizing that it was a very big gesture from Kasumi's side to be willing to share this with her. "I'd like that," she said. "What do I do?" She was surprised to see that Kasumi's hair was short underneath her hood, almost boyish. The game had never shown that.

"Just put this on," Kasumi said with a smile and fixed the apparatus over Abby's head. "This is one of my best memories of him."

Abby raised an eyebrow and waited, looking at the clear lenses that shimmered slightly when Kasumi opened her omni tool. The Master Thief pushed a few buttons and quite suddenly a picture sprang to life in front of Abby's eyes. She let out a cry of surprise and pulled the headset off immediately.

"Kasumi!" she exclaimed as the young woman started laughing. "I don't think showing me pictures of your lover admiring himself in the mirror is appropriate!"

"No," Kasumi chuckled. "But it sure is funny to see your reaction. Sorry pet, I couldn't help myself – I like to share the love. Let me show you another, you can look again. This is one of my clearest memories."

Abby snorted but carefully put the headset back on her head again. This time, another picture came to view, one of a young man sitting at the edge of a lake, fishing. It looked so ordinary that she was _almost_ disappointed. None the less, it showed what she wanted to see. A young man who looked at his lover in adoration and admiration. She could tell why Kasumi liked this memory.

It lived.

She smiled and slowly handed the headset back to Kasumi. "He looks wonderful," she said. "I truly am sorry for your loss."

Kasumi sighed wistfully and shrugged. "It gets better with time," she said and sat back a bit, studying Abby's features. "Do you have someone?"

She had anticipated the question, knowing that when people told you of their love life they expected something in return. So, she could keep her face steady as she shook her head and shrugged, unconsciously clenching her hands together and putting them between her legs to hide them in case they were shaking.

"I had someone," she said. "But we broke up a couple of months ago. Things became very complicated. It was for the best."

Kasumi smiled slightly and sat closer to her so that she could rest a hand on her leg in comfort. "You sound as if you are trying to convince yourself," she pointed out. "I take it you did the breaking up?"

Abby nodded but said no more. Kasumi smiled at her, patting her leg as she stood up. "Let's get some lunch," she said. "We've been here all morning." She held her hand out, urging Abby to take it with a smile. The veterinarian took it carefully and allowed the woman to pull her to her feet. They left the room and was about to go down to the mess hall when Shepard joined them from the elevator.

She smiled when she saw them together and made a direct bee line in their direction. Kasumi, who had pulled her hood up again, grinned at Shepard. "Hey Shep, we're about to make a turn at Cafe ala Gardner. Wanna join us?"

Shepard smiled and shook her head, motioning to Abby. "I thought I'd give our guest a tour of the Normandy first, if you're up to it? We can start on the lower deck and work our way up."

Abby hesitated for a moment, keen to know more of the Normandy but cautious to spend too much time with the Commander. She was still worried that they might ask her too many questions but Shepard seemed at ease and more in the mood to answer questions than ask them. So, she nodded slowly and limped to the Commander's side, appreciating the way Kasumi winked at her – showing her in a quiet way that she had made a new friend.

**The End of Chapter 15**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: This chapter wouldn't let me rest until I finished it. A warning for strong language.  
><strong>

**Meeting the Crew.**

"**So, this is the Engineering Level,"** Shepard said as they stepped out of the elevator. "Have you ever seen the drive core of a ship this size?"

Abby had to say no, for the first time hearing a slight hum of machinery, something she didn't hear before. It was... soothing. Shepard smiled, her eyes sparkling as she moved Abby in a direction. "I'll introduce you to Jack, then take you to see the drive core."

"Jack?" Abby asked again, prompting the Commander to explain something she already knew.

Shepard smiled, though there was a touch of hesitance in her eyes. "One of my 'contract' crew members as the other Cerberus crew likes to refer to them," she said and dropped her voice. "She's my pet project, but don't tell her that. If you do, I swear I'll push you out of the airlock just before I leap out of it to safety."

"My lips are sealed," Abby said with a small smile, amused by the imagery. "Jack? For a woman?"

"Jack's a special case," Shepard said as they started down the stairs, Abby sticking to the rail so that she could steady herself and keep most of her weight off of her injured leg. "I'll tell you more after you've met her. Jack? We're coming down!"

"We?" Came the reply and a shaven, tattooed head appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Abby paused when Jack's dark eyes landed on her, narrowing when they turned to the Commander. "What the fuck is she doing here? I am not interested in meeting your charity cases Shepard."

Shepard ignored her tone and motioned to Abby to come down to her. "You know how I feel about your language Jack," she said. "This is Dr. Abigail Gable, she'll be travelling with us. I'm giving her a tour of the ship."

Jack snorted and disappeared around the corner again. "Fuck me for caring," she said. "But, she doesn't look as if she should be out of fucking bed, let alone running around here. Fucking stupid bringing her down all those stairs Commander."

Jane shared a look with Abby, who couldn't help but pick up that the ex-convict's language had gone several steps down the ladder of decency the moment Shepard reprimanded her about it. She was a little bit like a rebellious teenager. None the less, Shepard still ignored her tone.

"May I bring her down?"

There was a snort from the bellows of the ship. "If you want to carry her back up, fine by me." Shepard smiled at Abby and offered her an arm, helping her the rest of the way down. Jack was standing just around the corner, her arms crossed over her half naked body, her eyes meeting Abby's defiantly as she sniffed. The vet could immediately feel herself being weighed and measured and quite obviously, by the way Jack's eyes visibly dismissed her, found to be unworthy.

Jack herself was... formidable. She was smaller than Abby had thought she would be, her curves hardly defining her as a woman. As in the game, colourful tattoos decorated her whole body, telling stories of her life before the Normandy. Abby found her eyes tracing the lines that travelled down Jack's arms, only stopping when they reached her hands which were balled into fists.

"Fucking satisfied?"

Abby started up to look into Jack's eyes. She could see the violence there, the anger that the young woman could barely contain. Her reasons for her bad behaviour had long since turned to an excuse and Abby suspected that she didn't control herself purely because she didn't want to. Or, perhaps she had forgotten how to. Unable to help herself, she took a step back, intimidated by what she saw. Jack was like a rabid dog, one that she would muzzle and sedate in an instant if it came into her clinic.

Jack snorted when she stepped back, her dark eyes turning to Shepard. "You've got a wild one here Commander," she said dryly. "Don't know how we're going to contain her on the battlefield."

Abby sniffed and crossed her arms. "I don't fight," she said. "I'm a vet."

Jack grinned. "Oh," she said and turned her back on them. "Glad you've finally gotten Miranda her own doctor Shepard. That's a dog to be put down Doc, if you don't mind me saying." When she said it though, Abby noticed that her gaze snapped to Shepard for just in instant, a brief flash of worry in them when she waited for the Commander to respond. When Shepard didn't say anything, Jack snorted, though her relief in the sound was evident.

"I'm done here," she said. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." She disappeared into the darkness, leaving Abby to stare at Shepard. The Commander turned around wordlessly, offering her arm to Abby as they went back up.

"She's... unstable," Abby said, leaning against the railing when they were at the top. "I hope... not all of your crew is like that." She sniffed and gave the Commander a disapproving look. "Your pet project? My apologies Commander but I got the feeling that you just let this woman do and say what she wants."

Shepard nodded as they slowly walked back to the elevator and to the opposite side of the ship. "I found Jack on the Purgatory, are you familiar with that ship?" When Abby nodded slowly, Jane took it as a sign to continue. "She was raped and beaten in the prison. Before that, she was a runaway from a Cerberus test facility where they literally taught her to kill. So yes, she's unstable – but I don't hold it against her. Believe it or not, she's much better and, if you noticed, she's cautious of me. As angry as Jack appears to be, she wants approval, just like everybody else. And, believe it or not – in a battle, I would trust her to cover my back completely. And, even that of my crew. I think that this is the first time she's ever been responsible for anything – and she takes it very seriously."

Abby took a deep breath, her stomach twisting when she realized where they were going next. "What were her crimes?" she queried. _The krogan's going to eat me alive..._

"Murder," Jane said. "Piracy, forgery, smuggling, stealing. Name it, she's done it. Numerous times."

The veterinarian raised an eyebrow. "Smuggling and stealing huh?" she queried, hoping that her tone was lighter than before. "Seems you have a lot of thieves on your ship Commander."

To her surprise, Jane Shepard grinned. "If you're referring to Kasumi Goto," she said. "I like to think of her as a kleptomaniac rather than a thief."

Abby raised an eyebrow and tried hard not to smile too much. "And Jack just a maniac?"

The Spectre barked a surprised laugh, caught off guard by her comment. "Yes," she said with a chuckle, "yes I guess you're right. I'm going to introduce you to Grunt next. If you survive him you'll find the rest of the crew members a breeze."

* * *

><p><strong>The krogan was agitated, Abby could see it immediately but – strangely enough, it didn't intimidate her as much as Jack did. <strong>She suspected it was because he looked more like a tortoise or... something. And of course, secretly, she had always thought that the krogan's tails were cute... His attitude though, wasn't and he showed much of the same hostility that Jack had.

"This is Abby Gable," Jane said as she came into his room. "She's going to be travelling with us for a bit."

The krogan, who had had his back turned towards them, grunted and turned around, marching towards Jane with hardly a glance in Abby's direction. "She is the one who had to be rescued from the mercenary ship," he said. "You took Miranda and Mordin and Garrus and Legion to help you fight. You left me here. Why? My krogan blood sings for battle!"

Jane sighed patiently and smiled up at the alien. He was huge, standing more than head and shoulders above Abby and she could tell that he was pure power.

"It was a subtle situation Grunt," Jane said with a smile. "They would likely have been too intimidated by you and harmed the hostage."

The krogan growled and turned to Abby, bending down so that he could glare at her face to face. She blinked when she looked at him and peered closer at his neck and face.

"Is she a strategic mastermind?" he snapped. "Will she increase our strength in battle? Why would you risk our lives to save her? She's puny and weak. What makes her special?"

Jane smiled patiently and shrugged. "We'll find out," she said. "She was in trouble."

The krogan grunted and abruptly turned his back on them, storming to the other side of the room, his hand travelling to his face. "The weak must learn to defend themselves!" he snapped. "It is through struggle and war that the krogan has become who they are! Other races must learn from us. Shepard, we must go and find a worthy battle! These walls are closing in on me."

Abby was surprised at the lack of concern that Jane showed as she took her arm and steered her out of the door. "We won't take up any more of your time Grunt," she said. "I'll see what I can do about that battle."

The door closed behind them with a swish. Jane immediately turned to Abby, her eyes amused as she waited for the woman's comment on the meeting. Abby blinked at her, then at the closed door. Finally, she ventured a statement.

"Your krogan's got mites."

It was clearly not what Shepard had expected. "Excuse me?" she queried with a frown, making Abby pause as she turned and motioned to the door.

"He's agitated and irritable," she said. "He... he has mites."

Shepard blinked at her and barked a laugh. "Oh, he's normally like that," she said. "Doesn't mean he has..." She trailed off when Abby gave her a look, motioning to her face in a fluid gesture.

"He's itching," she said. "You can see the rash on his neck where he's been scratching. And, did you notice how irritated his eyes seemed? That's... that's where the softest tissue is, so they collect there. He has mites."

She was stared at for a full minute before Jane let out a low whistle. "Well, I'll be damned," she said. "Are you sure?"

Abby shrugged and moved back so that she could lean against the wall. "I'm a vet," she pointed out. "And, I'm pretty sure your turian has some as well. They... They both are reptilian. Or... I mean, not reptilian but... They share similarities. I think. I wouldn't be surprised if he has mites. You... You have a turian right? I remember him bringing me here."

She saw how Jane quickly covered her hand with her mouth, her eyes bright with amusement. "Yes," she said. "Yes he did. Yes we do have a turian." Abby could tell that she was struggling not to laugh. "Would you like to meet him?"

* * *

><p>"<strong>I HAVE WHAT?"<strong>

At Garrus's bellow, Jane Shepard started laughing, the amusement that she had shown with Grunt breaking free and bubbling from her in a fit of pure, uncontrolled laughter.

Standing before the turian, Abby looked up at his raptor like features, at his tough skin and snake like eyes. She saw the moisture which accumulated in the corner of his eyes and she didn't miss the way he constantly fiddled with his nose. Now though, he kept his hands corpse like still as he glared down at her – nearly as tall as the krogan. She took a second to decide how to react. She wondered whether she should be defensive or professional. Whether she should take a step back or stand her ground.

Eventually, she decided on shrugging, keeping her gaze neutral as she made a motion with her hand. "Mites," she said. "Can't tell which species but they're definitively transferrable between different... you know... species of aliens. That is... unless you're moulting." She turned to Shepard who had managed to get her laughter under control. "I can't remember – do turians shed their skin?"

Shepard gave her one look and started laughing again, leaning against the door frame for support. Garrus on the other hand, wasn't amused at all.

"Moulting?"He snapped. "We don't moult! And I sure as hell don't have mites. I... I have dry skin!"

"Itchy skin?" Abby queried nonplussed, which made Garrus snap his head in her direction. If he was a krogan, he would've growled at her, she was sure. Luckily the turians were a little bit more sophisticated. "Caused by mites? You know – I can get a microscope and show you. And don't scratch... you'll spread them. They're bastards to get rid of if they are in..." _A reptile cage_. "You're home."

Garrus glared at her and then at Shepard. "I do not have mites!" he snapped. "Shepard, are you laughing or crying?"

Shepard was trying very hard to get herself under control, but a thought had come to mind and she couldn't keep it to herself. "Ah yes 'Mites'," she said, making air quotes in a very serious tone of voice. "Clearly you've dismissed such claims." She started laughing again, ducking out of the door so that she could get out of his line of sight.

The turian glared at her, then turned his deadly gaze on Abby. "I do not have mites," he said again, though his hand travelled to his neck for a scratch. Abby pointed a finger at him immediately, her face dead serious.

"Don't scratch!" she said again. "You'll spread them to every surface you touch and it will be much harder to get rid of all of them." This time, Garrus did growl at her.

"How do you suggest that I stop scratching if it feels as if my skin is alive?" And the agitation in his voice, Jane cut off her laugh immediately and stuck her head back into the room to see if Abby might be in danger of meeting her end by angry turian. She was surprised to see the veterinarian was not fazed but rather – had a very thoughtful expression on her face.

"Well," she said, dead serious. "I can always make you a collar..."

* * *

><p><strong>Jane Shepard was still laughing, and this time – she wasn't alone.<strong> The Port Observation Room was filled with a handful of people – mostly human save for Tali and all were laughing as the Commander finished her story.

"And then..." Commander Shepard was saying. "She says in this dead pan voice: I can always make you a collar..."

The whole started laughing and Abby, sitting in her corner, blushed as all eyes turned to her. "It was a joke," she said in her defence. "Sort of." She looked up to see Dr. Chakwas walk up to her and held out a small glass of _something_ brightly coloured. She took it carefully, first letting the glass settle on her leg before she brought it to her lips. Maybe it was the laughter or the fact that she had finally relaxed a little, but her hands were hardly shaking.

"Next time make a video!" Joker was saying, his eyes bright with laughter as he made to stand up. "I'd have loved to see ol'Garrus's face. He takes himself so seriously these days. Man, Doc – you're a keeper." He held up his glass of liquor, drained the last bit and stood up slowly. "I have to get back to the bridge, if you'll excuse me." He winked at Abby who gave him a brief genuine smile in return. When she met him earlier that evening, she had felt an immediately sense of kinship with him, knowing that he too suffered from a genetic disorder. She could relate to the way he carefully manoeuvred around a room, his eyes always searching for obstacles or objects which might harm him. She understood why he preferred to touch people first, so that he could control the movement and not give them a chance to hurt him. And, she admired the tenacity that he showed as the ship's pilot. This man would not let _anything_ keep him down.

"Just for my records," Dr. Chakwas said smoothly as she sat down beside Abby. "Where _is_ Garrus and Grunt now?"

Shepard, who was still chuckling, made a motion out of the door. "They're with Mordin," she said. "He's looking to find a quick and hopefully non destructive method to get rid of the mites quickly and easily."

Kelly looked a little worried where she was sitting with Kasumi. "I have to ask," she said. "Is it catching? Should we be worried?"

"You mean you," Tali said with a smile. "My suit protects me from such environmental hazards."

"Lucky you," Kasumi said dryly. "Seriously though – am I going to have to shave my head?"

Abby hesitated, but Chakwas immediately shook her head. "No," she said. "They should be harmless to humans. None the less, I'll put up a bulletin saying that if anybody experiences uncontrolled itching that they should see myself or Mordin immediately." She turned to smile at Abby. "Well spotted."

Abby smiled and shrugged, looking at her glass. "It was by chance," she said. "Really." A movement caught her eye through the open door. Samara had come to the room, her presence as serene as ever. Shepard was sitting with her back to the door and hadn't noticed her, giving the Justicar a second to look at the Commander. Abby could almost see her decide her course of action. Finally, Samara gently rested her hand on Jane's shoulder, causing the woman to turn around surprised and look at her. If anybody else noticed the moment, they didn't say – but din of conversation between Tali, Kasumi and Kelly suddenly went up a pitch as they discussed how lucky a chance it was. Jane looked at Samara for a long time, even though the asari was actually looking at the three other women. Finally, she seemed to come to some sort of decision and carefully reached to her shoulder and entwined her fingers with Samara. Abby looked away embarrassed before Jane could see her looking and rather turned her attention to something Tali said.

"I haven't laughed this much since Kaiden took it upon himself to make supper for the whole crew," she said with a touch of wistfulness in her voice. "Of course, Joker then convinced me to stay in bed the next morning and told Kaiden that his cooking had made me sick..." She trailed off as a sadder, darker note of velvet sorrow passed between the three members of the old Normandy. Jane sighed, her face touched by a brief flicker of grief as she stood up. Samara immediately took her hand away from her and stepped back, though not away from the Commander.

"Well, I have to call it a night you guys," Jane said. "I quickly need to see Miranda and, despite all the alcohol and luxuries present, this is still a military ship. We all have duties tomorrow." She gave Kelly a sharp look before turning to the rest of those present. "Thank you for a lovely evening," she said and nodded at Abby. "And for a wonderful laugh. I think we all needed it."

Abby nodded, unsure of what to say - watching the woman as she left the room with the Justicar at her back. Taking the Commander's departure as an excuse of her own, Dr. Chakwas too stood up, patting Abby on the shoulder as she motioned to the glass in her hand.

"Drink that," she said. "It will help you sleep tonight. Stay in as long as you need to – then come and see me when you're up. For whatever you said to the Commander, thank you Abby. We haven't heard her laugh like that in years."

"Yes," Tali interrupted and stood up as well. "It was wonderful, it is such a pleasure to hear her laugh. A year ago I thought I would never hear it again." She turned to the others present. "Good night everybody. Keelah se'lai."

"Keelah se'lai," Kasumi said before she pushed Kelly off of the chair. "I guess that means that's your cue to leave as well. Doc, will you make sure this young woman reaches her bed safely? Her own bed"

Chakwas chuckled and nodded, motioning to Kelly to join her. "As we're going in the same direction anyway," she said. "Sure. Good night you two. Abby if you need anything during the night, or if you are in any pain, tell EDI to call me immediately."

Again, all Abby could do was nod and say her good nights politely. It was only when she and Kasumi were the only ones left in the room that she realized how tired she suddenly felt. Kasumi on the other hand still seemed full of energy, her dark eyes sparkling as she took off her hood again and went to lock the door.

"Not bad for your first proper day on the Normandy," she said with a hint of pride. "Not bad at all."

**The End of Chapter 16**


	17. Chapter 17

_**AN: I forgot to say that I was going to be very busy over the weekend, delaying this chapter. Hopefully I'll be back up to speed now. Thank you again for all the reviews, the story alerts and the favourites. It's appreciated. **_

**Nightmare **

**Her breathing was slow and steady, her hands clenched together in prayer as she whispered soft words, her eyes open as she stared out of the window at the Twin Peaks in the distance**. "Dear Goddess," she prayed. "Steady my hand, ready my power. Let me do what I must do. Please." She heard the sound of a door being kicked open below her and saw it as a sign that she had to get up. She reached for her gun and turned to the other person in the room.

"Risha," she said. "Risha, I need you to stay here. Lock the door when I leave, barricade it. Here..." She handed the pistol to the younger asari that was huddled in the corner, her eyes wide with fear. "If anybody comes through that door, you shoot them. Alright? Straight for the helmet. Or head. You have biotics use it."

She started to head for the door, but Risha leapt up and grabbed her by the arm. "No no no no no," she sobbed. "No, you can't leave me. No, please... Please don't. We can stay here. Please. Please don't leave. Please."

Abby found herself reaching out to the young asari, touching her face gently as she wiped away her tears. "I have to," she said. "If I don't – they will corner us here. I can't let that happen. I'll go down, clear the way. When everything is safe, I'll call you and we'll get out of here."

Risha sobbed and wrapped her arms around her, clinging to her for dear life. "Please be safe. Please."

Abby smiled, despite the fear that burned in her soul, and kissed Risha's head. "Keep safe," she said. "I'll come back when this is done. Barricade the door."

She left without looking back, praying that she would not let the intruders come up the stairs. When the door closed behind her, she balled her fists and reached to her biotics, that sweet power that made her what she was. She could already hear their security mecs firing downstairs, so she closed her eyes, said a silent prayer and charged down to meet them.

* * *

><p><strong>Kasumi was a light sleeper, which came from years of stowing away on ships – always expecting to be caught. <strong>She therefore woke the moment Abby's breathing changed, like a break in the steady stream that had been her rhythm. At first, she lay in the darkness, listening as Abby seemed to hold her breath, then let out in a panicked gasp. Thinking that the woman was having a nightmare, she stood up to wake her then paused when she heard her whisper. Blinking in the dark, surprised by what she was hearing, Kasumi snapped her fingers to turn on the lights and addressed the AI in a hushed voice.

"EDI?" she said. "Record audio in Port Observation room and call Samara."

* * *

><p><strong>The man fell under her hands and she felt... Invigorated.<strong> Enlightened, as if she had seen the truth in a life which has been a lie to this day. With her power dancing around her hands and body like a spirit of ice and fire, she was vengeance itself, despatching an enemy with merely a thought. She had never used her power like this and it disturbed her that somewhere, deep inside, she _liked it_.

When one of the attackers came round the corner, firing at her – she wrapped her powers around him, deflecting the shots he fired at her and quite easily tore him in half. It was... a mess. And it seemed to be the last. Standing in the middle of what had once been her living room, Abby breathed deeply as she looked at the carnage around her. She wasn't sure what she was feeling, horror, fear, exhilaration... It was all mixed so tightly together that in that one moment, in that one single breath, the only thing she felt was nausea.

Abby threw up noisily, bending double as she emptied her stomach on the floor amidst the blood and broken glass. It was then that she heard the window break and Risha scream...

* * *

><p><strong>Samara stormed into the room just in time to hear Abby start screaming.<strong>

"Abby!" Kasumi said immediately, shaking the woman awake as her body pulled taunt and another scream tore itself from her throat. "Abby wake up! It's just a nightmare! Abby!" She tried to steady the woman but was rewarded by a fist in her face which made her stagger back a bit.

"Risha!" Abby screamed as she tried to get up from the couch, her eyes white with fear as she pushed past Kasumi. "Risha! RISHA!"

Samara moved quickly, blocking her way but the veterinarian stumbled even before she reached her. She would've fallen on her face had Samara not jumped forward to catch her. She started struggling the moment she felt her arms close around her, kicking out despite the agony that it must've brought to her leg.

"NO!" she cried out. "RISHA! NO! NO!"

"Dr. Gable calm yourself!" Samara breathed as she pulled the woman close to her, wrapping her arms tightly around her chest. "It's alright – wake up. Abigail..." She got a kick on her shin for her effort before Kasumi leapt forward and grabbed Abby's legs. Secure now, Abby started sobbing as Samara moved to the couch and sat down, holding her like a child. Her whole body was still shaking, her eyes wide with an unspoken fear. She didn't seem to see or hear them, even when Kasumi went to sit right in front of her.

"Abby, it's okay," the thief whispered, cupping her face and forcing her to look at her. "Abby, it was just a dream. It's alright. Come on."

Slowly, Abby's breathing began to deepen as her sobs subsided. She coughed once, then swallowed as Samara finally felt her relax in her arms, her whole body sagging against the asari's as she blinked at Kasumi. She breathed as if she had run for miles and eventually, even her shaking stopped as her hand moved up to touch Samara's arm as if she needed to find out what it was.

"Kasumi?" she breathed finally, her voice hoarse. "Kasumi I..."

The thief breathed a visible sigh of relief and looked to Samara who had still not let go of the woman. "Welcome back Abby," she breathed and gingerly touched her jaw where she had received her fist. "If you had told me you were a boxer, I'd have thought twice before taking _you_ on."

Abby swallowed, struggling to regain her breath. Thinking that it was safe, Samara carefully let go of her, surprised when the woman didn't get up immediately but rather closed her eyes and rested her head on her shoulder to collect herself. She didn't even move when the door opened again admitting another person to the room. Samara knew that it was Shepard without looking.

"What in heaven's name is going on here?"

* * *

><p><strong>It was supposed to be a simple exercise.<strong> What you did was keep your thumb still, while you tapped each of your other fingers against it twice in sequence.

Forefinger – _tap tap_. Middlefinger _– tap tap_. Ringfinger – _tap tap_. Pinkie _– tap tap_. Then, you moved back. Pinkie, ring finger, middle finger, forefinger. Easy. You started off slow and then progressively went faster, keeping the rhythm and the sequence in place.

Abby fumbled with her fingers, unable to control how many taps she gave and sometimes, missing her thumb completely. Yet, she kept at it, her gaze fixed on her hands so that she didn't have to look anywhere else. She was in the infirmary again, sitting on one of the beds with a blanket wrapped around her shoulder. Behind her, she could hear Shepard speaking to Chakwas in a low, steady voice with not a hint of emotion. Abby would almost have appreciated it if she could hear some suspicion in the Commander's tone but there was nothing.

Not even concern.

"Kasumi says that she had a nightmare," Shepard said. "She tried to bolt for the door when Samara came in and I have to add, gave Kasumi quite a shiner on her cheek which you might have to look at. Could you just see if she's alright Doc? I'll be back in a moment."

She didn't hear the doctor's reply and only realized that Shepard was gone when Dr. Chakwas walked round the bed to her, her face neutral even as she smiled at her. Abby recognized that look; it was the same one she used when she had to evaluate a particularly difficult case at her clinic. She stopped her hand exercise and stared at the doctor with caution, not bothering to hide her unease.

"Well," Dr. Chakwas said with a smile. "If you wanted to come back here you should've just asked Dr. Gable."

Abby wasn't in the mood for humour, so she dropped her head again and stared at her hands, clenching them together in her lap. "I don't know what happened," she said automatically, though the doctor just smiled and carefully reached out to touch her wrist.

"I didn't expect you would," she said. "Relax a little Dr. Gable, you're fine and there was no blood spilled. Do you get nightmares often?"

Abby shook her head, giving in when Dr. Chakwas motioned to her to lie down so that she could look at her leg. "I don't know what to say Doctor," she said honestly. "I really don't." She flinched in pain when the woman took away the bandage from her leg and looked down to see that it had started bleeding. Chakwas was grimacing as she studied the damage.

"Not anybody else's blood anyway," she said. "I'm going to clean this up Doctor and then bandage it again. Tell me if it's too sore then I'll give you a local. And please, relax – people on this ship understand nightmares. We all get them."

_Not like this,_ Abby thought as she remembered the bloodshed and carnage from her dream. _This dream was not mine. It couldn't have been._

* * *

><p><strong>"It means: Save me from myself,"<strong> Samara said softly when Kasumi's recording ended. "You're right Kasumi, it is in an old asari dialect, used mainly for prayers. She repeated it, like a mantra. I have not heard a human speak it so fluently. To be precise, I have not heard a human say those words at all."

Shepard sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, knowing that she had slept too little. She, Miranda and Samara had spoken well into the night after she had left the Port Observation Room. At first it had been about Abby, but then the conversation changed and they started telling each other about some of the adventures they experienced before they met each other. They hadn't planned it that way, it just happened and those moments had been too precious for Shepard to abandon. Both of the women with her shared so little of themselves than to hear them have a personal conversation was a gift in itself.

"And the rest?" she queried. "I can hear that the sentence changes at the end. Slightly. Good thinking on recording it Kasumi." It had been eerie listening to Abby's blank voice as she recited words in an alien language and Kasumi had once again proven to Shepard that she thought a little bit further than the average human being.

Samara's mouth thinned as she looked at Kasumi who shrugged. "I recorded it because I didn't know," the thief said. "That's why I called you. I recognised the pattern as asari – I had been in a temple once..." She trailed off and smiled wistfully as she usually did when she was remembering a past event. "I just recognised it. What does the last bit mean?"

The Justicar's face was blank as she said simply. "I will kill you all."

Shepard shivered and she knew that it was not from the cold. "Was it directed at us or while she was still in her dream?"

"Dream definitively," Kasumi said immediately. "Immediately afterwards she started calling out to this person Risha. Over and over – she was distraught. But... this is going to sound silly Shep but, she wasn't herself. I mean... I can't explain it but, I could see when she relaxed because her whole face changed. I think she's as freaked out by this as we are."

Samara didn't look as if she agreed. "Even in the state she was in," she pointed out. "She still kept information from us. I think it's time we ask this woman some proper questions Shepard – I want to know what she dreamt tonight."

Shepard snorted and nodded. She had heard the rest of the recording, had listened to the way Abby screamed the unfamiliar name. Whether it was an old or recent trauma, there was a story behind the nightmare she had tonight and Shepard felt that in the interest of her crew, they had to know what it was.

"The moment Chakwas is done with her, we'll ask her to explain this to us," she said. "I don't think we should give her time to think about this. She's intelligent enough to come up with a very quick story if you give her too much time. We need the truth. Do you agree with me?"

She looked to Samara who nodded immediately and even Kasumi, though she looked as if she regretted saying it, nodded. "If she's in trouble, we can help her," she said. "So, it might be good to find out where this nightmare came from. I don't want to be hit again."

Shepard nodded and stood up. "Let's go see if Chakwas is done."

**The End of Chapter 17**


	18. Chapter 18

_**AN: And another one. Thank you for all the reviews again. They are a pleasure to receive.**_

**A Definition of Dreams**

**Dr. Chakwas had just helped Abby upright when the three women came into the infirmary; their faces determined when they looked at them. **The veterinarian tensed when her dark eyes sought them out and she immediately dropped her gaze to her lap when Shepard looked at her.

_This is it,_ Abby thought bitterly. _It's the airlock for me. Without a suit._

"Dr. Chakwas?" Shepard queried. "Are you done here?"

The doctor raised an eyebrow and shrugged, briefly resting a hand on Abby's. "My work here is never done Commander," she said ambiguously. "If you are asking for a moment with my patient however, you can have it – but I'm not leaving the room."

"There will be no need," Samara said. Abby couldn't help but notice that they were all in the same dark coloured sleepwear that she was wearing, with the exception of Kasumi who had a hood drawn over her head from a dark blue hoody. If she got the time, she would have to ask the woman about the habit. "I believe your presence here will be prudent."

"Good to know," Dr. Chakwas said dryly and patted Abby's hand. Without saying anything else she went to her desk and sat there behind Abby, clearly knowing that they wanted to question her.

Abby refrained from looking back to her, folding her hands and putting them between her legs as both Samara and Shepard came to stand in front of her. Kasumi moved to the corner near the AI core, but smiled at Abby when she looked at her. With her hood, she couldn't see what state her cheek was in but Abby suspected that it was a shiner. She sighed and swallowed, suppressing a shiver.

"Dr. Gable," Shepard broke the awkward silence with a steady, non judgemental tone. "Do you know what we want to ask you?"

Without looking at her, Abby shook her head. "Not exactly," she said softly, realizing that the time for confessions was at hand. "But I can guess." They waited after she had spoken, as if they expected her to clarify – or start talking, but she chose to remain silent, even as her heart beat a thundering taboo in her chest.

"Abby, are you really a vet?" Kasumi asked from the corner. "Or are you _really_ working for somebody else?"

She nodded immediately, looking up to meet their gazes. "Yes," she said sincerely. "I _am_ a vet. I didn't lie to you about that. I have a small practice in England which I run with another partner. It's not big, it's not significant in any way, but it's mine."

Shepard nodded slowly but her eyes were hard when she looked at Abby. "What have you been lying about?" she asked.

Despite the circumstances, Abby felt a brief wave of anger. She rarely lied and to date, she hadn't actually lied to the commander – she had just not been entirely honest.

"Nothing specifically," she replied. "I answered most of your questions. Those that I didn't I couldn't."

"Why?" Samara asked, giving her a hard look which strangely enough didn't faze her as much as it had before.

"I had no answers for them," she said. "Simple as that."

Shepard shifted and fixed her with a look very similar to Samara's. "Abby," she queried. "Are you working with Cerberus and is your presence here in anyway way a danger to my crew?"

Abby shook her head wordlessly, thinking about Asura's words. _I will come for you. _

"Have you ever lived with asari?" Samara queried.

Again, Abby shook her head, this time frowning as she didn't understand why they would ask her such a thing. She could tell immediately that they didn't believe her and that made her uneasy. "I've never left Earth till now," she said. "I've never had any personal interaction with the asari save for my encounters with Asura and Fedora... And then you Justicar."

Shepard seemed disappointed in her, as if she had expected to hear more. "I find that very hard to believe Abby," she said softly. "You have given us reason to believe that you know the asari very well."

This time it was Abby's turn to frown. "I don't understand," she said. "How?"

"You spoke our dialect in your sleep Abigail," Samara simply, her pale blue eyes locked with Abby's. "And very clearly I should add."

Abby jerked as if slapped, feeling nauseous when she thought back to her dream. "I don't know your dialect," she said quickly. "I really don't. That dream wasn't mine." She said the last without thinking and regretted it immediately when she felt the focus on her double.

"What do you mean by that?" Kasumi asked from her corner, taking a few steps closer to her.

Abby closed her eyes and shivered. She realized suddenly that she had one of two options. She could continue beating around the bush, refusing to answer their questions directly. Or, she could tell them as much of the truth as she knew. It didn't have to be all of it, but she was in a position where she had to give them _something_ if she wanted to continue to be in their good graces. And, as strange as it was, she wanted to be. Whether they were real or not, this was her reality now – for however long she would be here. And, she knew of everybody out there in the galaxy, she could at least trust these people.

"I dreamt that I was an asari," Abby confessed. "And, before you ask – I don't do that often. I've only done it here – after Banrio. And, before you ask how I came to Banrio, I can tell you now honestly that I don't know. I'm serious when I say that I have a practice in England. Before I came here, I... went to sleep in my own room. Next thing I know, I'm in the middle of that damned gunfight. I can't explain how that change happened. I don't know, I honestly don't and quite frankly it scares the shit out of me because I don't know what happened to me in between."

There was a shift as Dr. Chakwas stood up to join the three women before her, her gaze troubled as she studied Abby's face. "Why didn't you tell us this before?" she said, much to Abby's relief sounding as if she believed her.

She felt tired suddenly as she shook her head and shrugged. "What can I say?" she admitted. "That I've potentially lost hours or _days_ of my life? That a part of me feels that this is just some sort of fucked up dream? Eventually my disorder will make me go mad. Is this a part of that?" The urge to cry came and went, she had not accepted that yet. She had always hoped that she never would have to face that, she had thought that she had made sure that she wouldn't. "How do you explain that to someone?"

For a few moments, the infirmary was very silent, everybody's eyes focused on her. If she had her own room, Abby would've gotten up and go there but she didn't and she knew that she would have to face whatever came next, whether she wanted to or not. Since being here she had learned that there was no escape. Ever.

"Tell us about your dream," Samara said, changing the subject ever so slightly. She had lost some of her hardness which told Abby that she believed her. When she looked at all of them, she was surprised to find the same conformation everywhere. There wasn't doubt in their eyes, but pity. Giddy with relief, Abby had to take a deep breath.

"It's happened twice," she said. "I dreamt once that I was out hiking with another young asari. We were... playing. Chasing each other." She was aware that her hands were shaking suddenly. Taking them from her legs, she rather crossed her arms, hiding them again. "In the second one. Tonight's one. We were attacked."

Samara shifted, giving her a curious look. "And you've never lived these events before?" she queried which made Abby shake her head.

"No," the vet said. "I told you, I've only ever been on Earth and Banrio. I don't know the girl... Or... I do but.." She shivered. "I don't understand any of it."

Samara was silent for a bit and all of the other women seemed to be waiting for her to speak. "Describe your dreams to me Abby," she said finally. "Every detail that you can remember."

Thinking about the blood, about the exhilaration that she had felt while tearing that man to shreds, Abby grimaced and closed her eyes. None the less, she nodded and slowly but surely started recounting what she had experienced through the asari's eyes. She knew that it was what she had to do, if she wished to have any sort of future in this world.

She was nauseous when she was done and exhausted as if telling the dreams took every last shred of energy that she had left. She wondered what time it was and made a mental note to ask Dr. Chakwas for a watch or something which could help her tell time onboard the space ship. All four the women were staring at her when she finished speaking, Dr. Chakwas being the only one to move so that she could give Abby a glass of water. She took it gratefully and brought it to her lips, closing her eyes so that she didn't have to look at them.

"Abby," Samara said eventually, softly. "Those sound like another asari's memories. Has anyone ever tried to meld with you?"

She had to frown at the term, too tired to think. "I don't... what does that mean?"

"Asari have the ability to read other people's thoughts," Shepard interrupted before Samara could explain. "Though, it's a little bit more complicated than that. It's like sharing, melding as they call it. You allow them into your mind and they make your memories their own." She gave Samara a sceptical look. "It works both ways right?"

Samara nodded. "During sex yes," she said ignoring the way Kasumi barked a surprised laugh. "But, when we are specifically looking or information we can control the flow of information. Some asari are quite skilled at it – they can... take information from people's minds." She noticed that Abby was grimacing. "You seem more familiar with the concept now."

Abby nodded slowly. "Fedora tried," she said. "When I didn't want to give her any information on Asura she tried to force me to give it up. I didn't realize it at the time but... that's what she was trying to do. I could feel her... Sinking into me."

Shepard snorted and nodded. "That's how I felt when Liara melded with me," she said with a tight twist of her mouth. "It's not unpleasant. Liara was... kind to me."

Samara raised an eyebrow and turned back to Abby. "Dr. Gable," she said. "With your permission, I would like to attempt to meld with you. I believe that you have more information at your disposal that you have not necessarily dreamt about."

_Please, let them be nice and fluffy thoughts,_ Abby thought, feeling her mouth go dry. She looked at Shepard who gave her an encouraging look. "You don't have to if you don't want to," she said. "But it might shed some light on your situation."

She felt as if she had to nod, as if she had no other choice than to allow another person into her head. She closed her eyes as she inclined her head, taking a steadying breath before she looked back to Samara.

"What do I have to do?" she queried, making the asari smile with encouragement.

"Come with me," she said and held her hand out to Abby. "We can't do it here."

* * *

><p><strong>Samara took her to her room and requested that both Dr. Chakwas and Kasumi remain outside.<strong> Shepard could come in with them but she immediately had the sense to go and sit in the corner as Samara motioned to Abby to sit down on the floor beside the window. It was clear that the vet was very nervous, her face pale as she limped to where Samara indicated and when she sank down slowly. She kept tapping her hand against her knee in a nervous rhythm, her dark eyes following Samara down as the Justicar came to sit before her.

"I have not done this in many decades," the Justicar confessed. "I normally rely on the truth of people's words rather than their thoughts. Memories can sometimes complicate things as they can be very subjective." She met Abby's gaze. "And, they can become your own."

Shepard watched as Abby awkwardly crossed her leg, wiping her palms on her knees as she studied the Justicar's face. "We... we don't have to do this," she said. "It's... it's alright if you don't want to."

To their surprise, Samara laughed and briefly touched Abby's cheek in an almost loving gesture. "I offered remember," she said and looked to Shepard. "Jane, may I ask you to be quiet through all of this?"

Shepard smiled and nodded. "Like a mouse," she said. "You alright Abby?"

The vet nodded, though her eyes never left Samara's face. The Justicar sat back and took a deep breath, looking very informal in her dark sleepwear. She called up the blue light she used when she meditated holding it first in her one hand as she indicated with the other to Abby.

"I want you to look at this Abigail," she said. "Focus on it, try and clear your mind."

Biting her lip, Abby gave her a sceptical look. "I think this is the point where I should add that I suck at yoga," she pointed out. "My mind's pretty impossible to clear..."

Samara made a considering sound and closed her eyes, their pupils going white just before she did so. "Hmm," she said. "Just focus Abby, it's not that hard. And it's certainly easier when you're quiet."

Clearly unable to help herself, Abby pulled a face which she shared with Shepard. The commander had to struggle not to laugh at the look, thinking that despite the tense circumstances in which she found herself, the woman had a very easy sense of humour. She watched as Abby took a deep breath and swallowed, turning her gaze to the ball of blue as she did so. She sat still for a very long time, her eyes following the lights as it danced around her.

"Breathe with me," Samara said softly, opening her eyes again. "Let's breathe in... hold it... And out. And again..." She did this for several breaths until Abby visibly relaxed. When her shoulders dropped, Samara's eyes narrowed in concentration as she reached out to rest a hand on the young woman's.

"Embrace eternity," she whispered, making Shepard hold her breath. Abby though jerked suddenly and pushed herself away from Samara, her eyes wide.

"Wait wait wait," she said, holding up her shaking hands. "Just wait. I'm... I'm not ready."

Samara's biotic ball died as she frowned at the vet who had put her hands over her face to rub it. She seemed spooked and wild when she looked up again. "I'm... I'm sorry," she said. "The last time someone said those words... I'm sorry..." She swallowed and looked at Shepard who stood up to join them.

"It's alright Abby," she said and glanced at Samara. "Take your time, it is daunting."

She looked at Samara who nodded and settled back. "When you're ready, we can try again," she said. "There's no rush Abigail."

The woman took a deep breath and closed her eyes, nodding as she did so. This time, she reached out and rested a hand on Samara's knee, motioning to her to start again. "I'm ready," she said. "It won't happen again."

Seeing it as her cue to return to her place, Shepard went back and sat down, watching the two women as they faced each other. Samara once again took Abby through a process of relaxing, a lot slower this time, until the woman took a deep breath, as if she was falling asleep. Samara didn't say anything this time, but Shepard could see her eyes go from white to black as she started her meld with Abby. The veterinarian shivered, but didn't move – though her hand tightened on Samara's leg.

For once, it wasn't shaking.

They sat in silence for several minutes, presumably as Samara probed Abby's mind. Shepard couldn't help but think of Liara as she watched the two, her heart aching for the asari she once knew. Liara had been so innocent and apologetic when they melded to get the information about the prothean cipher. It had been an intimate experience and sometimes, Shepard couldn't help but wish that they had taken the time that they had to start a relationship. Maybe then Liara would not have turned out the way she did.

Of course, Shepard would still have died...

The silence in the room was broken when Samara took a sharp breath and sat back, her eyes returning to normal as she looked at Abby. The vet blinked and took her hand from Samara's knee, using it to rub her brow. "Ahm," she began. "I..."

Samara smiled at her, though she seemed paler than usual. "Why don't you wait here for a moment Abby?" she said. "I want to have a word with Jane."

The young woman didn't say anything, but nodded, her dark eyes turning to Shepard who had gotten up to follow Samara out of the room. The Justicar pushed herself up, looking tired as she too touched her brow. None the less, she took a moment and briefly touched Abby's head.

"You did nothing wrong," she said. "Thank you for trusting me Abigail. Shepard?"

They left the room together. When they were outside, Shepard realized that both Dr. Chakwas and Kasumi were still in the hallway and Miranda had joined them as well. As the door closed behind them, leaving Abby alone in the room, Samara closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What did you find Samara?" Kasumi asked immediately, unable to contain her curiosity.

The Justicar glanced at her and shook her head, turning her eyes to Miranda who crossed her arms with a frown. "Nothing," she said. "I couldn't meld with her. I tried to connect with her thoughts. It was hard and it had nothing to do with my lack of experience. There's something inside her that stopped me from reading her. I don't think she's even aware of it. It could be training or... Something else. I can't imagine that Fedora managed to meld with her either – she had told me that there was something different about Abigail."

Miranda raised an eyebrow and turned to Chakwas who was frowning deeply. "I guess you'll have to let me run those tests then," she pointed out. "So that we can find out what it is."

The doctor looked as if she wanted to protest but Shepard nodded, even though she knew Chakwas would not agree. "Do it," she said. "We have to know more, for our own sakes as well as hers." She hesitated and turned to Samara. "She mentioned Twin Peaks quite often when she was speaking of her dreams. Do they hold any significance to you?"

Samara shook her head, still touching her brow looking as if she had a headache.

"Shepard?" EDI came up, interrupting them. "I have run a cross reference to some of the other landmarks that she mentioned and came up with no fewer than fifty worlds which hold such landmarks. Thirty of them are inhabitable. We are going to need more information to narrow down the search. If you feel that it is important."

Shepard sighed and nodded. "Call it my gut instinct," she said, regretting her next words. "EDI, tell Joker to set a course for Illium. Dr. T'soni might be able to help us as she has more information at her disposal. We're only a day and a half's travel away."

**The End of Chapter 18**


	19. Chapter 19

**Legacy**

**Miranda's tests were intensive and exhausting.** If it could be scanned and measured, she tested it. She made her write a standard IQ test that all Cerberus personnel apparently wrote and tested Abby's co-ordination, assigning her a score which in the vet's mind wasn't accurate as she knew that she would've done better had she not been so tired. None the less, she tolerated everything, having resolved to cooperate with the Normandy crew rather than make them any more suspicious of her. She was tired of being cornered and questioned and if being probed and prodded could stop them from doing that she was game.

When Miranda finally released her, with a cool word of thanks for her cooperation, Abby returned to the room she shared with Kasumi only to find that the thief wasn't there. She was surprised however to find that Kelly Chambers was present and had set out a meal for her. Abby could've kissed the perky red head in those few seconds in which she realized how absolutely starving she was.

"Miranda's like a machine sometimes," Kelly said with a smile as she motioned to Abby to have a seat. "She doesn't remember that people get tired a lot quicker than she does. She can focus for _hours_ at end."

"I've noticed," Abby said dryly as she pulled what looked like a bowl of paella closer. "I haven't been quizzed like this since… Veterinary school. I had to do a coordination test, but I was so tired by the end of the session that I swear she's going to classify me as disabled. I'm not normally this bad…" As if to demonstrate, she tried to lift the bowl but it started shaking so she let it rest. "It's just when I'm tired and I think recovering from this shot doesn't help. I have good days and bad days…"

Kelly surprised her by smiling as she went to take the seat next to her and put the bowl in her lap so that she didn't have to pick it up herself. "I know," she said simply and took a bowl of her own. "You'll feel better once you get some decent rest. These nightmares can't be helping."

_Obviously_ she knew. Kelly knew everything.

Abby sighed, eating a little as she thought of what to say. The food was delicious but then again, most of her meals here had been. Her appetite had been dwindling in the past couple of months so she was surprised by how hungry she suddenly felt.

"It's worse knowing that they're someone's memories," she said finally, not looking at the Yeoman. "I feel too involved with people that I don't know." _Risha_. "They have no business in my head. It's crowded enough."

Kelly stirred her food thoughtfully, picking out a bit of something that looked like calamari. "Talking about it helps you know," she said softly. "When you give voice to your thoughts, it's as if you give them freedom to leave you. It's like writing something on paper, you can never write the same poem twice or the same story. Once it's out, it's gone. Ask Jack."

Abby blinked and gave the woman a sceptical look. "Jack writes?"

Chuckling at her disbelief, Kelly nodded but put her finger in front of her lips. "You didn't hear it from me," she said. "But she writes wonderful poems which she sometimes shares with me. It helps her cope."

Abby was surprised that the convict confided in Kelly, but then it seemed that almost everybody did. She began to realize that it had nothing to do with Kelly trying to be their shrink rather, it had to do with the fact that she tried to be their friend. Everybody was lonely and maybe, space enhanced that feeling. When someone reached out to you, you were only too grateful to reach back. Setting down her bowl, she found herself smiling at the young woman as she reached out and patted her knee.

"You're a good person Kelly," she said softly. "I'm sorry if I've been a bit hard on you. I'm so used to keeping people at arm's length that I forget that it's not necessary sometimes. That sometimes, people are being sincere instead of…"

Kelly took her hand. "Pitying? Indulging? I know Abby, it's alright." She smiled. "And you've been no harder on me than anybody else on the crew. Anyway, you must be tired of people – I'm sure Miranda drilled you with questions and I suspect that they became quite personal."

Abby let her go, nodding as she did so. Miranda had asked her extensively about her family history, specifically from which side of the family her condition came from and whether she had any other siblings who also exhibited symptoms. She had told her as clinically as she could that she was the only one and it had come from her father's side, who had received it from his mother. Her grandmother had lived to a decent old age, but she had always suffered from dementia and 'the shakes' as her family called it. Nobody had ever thought twice of it, as _her_ father had had it before her, and apparently so had his. Her genetic councillor had told her that her family was a typical example of a Huntington's genealogy.

It didn't make her feel any better.

"Are you alright?" Kelly asked, surprising her. She had completely forgotten that the young woman was still in the room. "You seem upset. Did I say the wrong thing?"

Abby blinked and shook her head quickly. "No," she said quickly. "No no… I was just thinking about…" She hesitated, seeing the look in Kelly's eyes. She grimaced and made a vague motion with her hand. "I was just thinking about my family. About our… legacy if you will. Miranda asked me about it."

Kelly nodded slowly and didn't sit down again, but also didn't leave. "Which of your parents had this?" she queried, making Abby sigh as she motioned to her to sit beside her again though she moved a bit further away from the secretary.

"My father," she said because she knew that by the time Miranda circulated her report the secretary would know anyway. "He became very moody and depressed after my brother's birth. My mother couldn't understand it. Things were tough in those years but they weren't bad. My father was a carpenter and…" She sighed and shrugged. "They didn't know that he had this I mean, my mum said that he hardly showed any physical signs which she noticed anyway. Just…" She tapped her head. "Up here."

"What happened to him?" Kelly asked softly, her eyes studying Abby's for any emotion.

The vet grimaced but then smiled sadly. "He left," she said softly. "When I was still very young. We didn't know of course that this lay at the heart of it. My mum just... thought he was unhappy. I was the first one in the family to be diagnosed. Of course, then everything else made sense. It took a load off of my mother and dumped one on me." She couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice.

Kelly grimaced and nodded slowly, as if she was nodding at herself. "I see," she said. "I'm sorry Abby. About everything, including all of this it's more than you need to deal with right."

To the secretary's obvious surprise, Abby smiled and shrugged, patting the woman's leg before she stood up slowly and carefully picked up what was left of the meal they had had. She was going to walk out of here and give the bowls back to Gardner. She didn't want Kelly to clean up after her.

"This isn't so bad Kelly," she said softly. "So, it's nothing to apologise for. It might just be one of the best things that have happened to me in a very long time. And..." She paused for drama. "A change is as good as a holiday."

* * *

><p>"<strong>I think she's carrying the Ardat Yakshi's memories, not Fedora's,"<strong> Miranda was saying a while later in the briefing room. "And – more to the point, I think the asari melded with her. Completely."

Shepard frowned at Miranda, but Samara wasn't convinced. "It is impossible," she said. "I have explained to you that it would be impossible. Ardat Yakshi lack the ability to control their power, when they meld with someone they kill them. Their nervous systems can't handle it."

Miranda smiled, looking like the Cheshire cat. "Normal nervous systems yes," she said. "But, one like Abby's?" She called up a set of brain scans on her terminal's screen. "This is a scan showing Abby's neural pathways, specifically centred around her brain. Those black spots that you see are sites of degeneration. They are the reason for her physical symptoms because the neural pathway is 'interrupted' for lack of a better way of putting it. Her neural impulses don't run as smoothly as in a normal human being, one of the reasons you'll sometimes see her jerking involuntarily or why her hands would start shaking the moment she puts strain on them."

"Miranda," Shepard said patiently. "Neither of us is strong in biology. Give us the facts."

Her second in command gave her a scathing look. "The way I understand it," she continued in a colder voice. "Ardat Yakshi lack the ability to buffer their biotic power in their mates. I think it's a physical flaw in their genetic makeup." She ignored the way Samara grimaced. "The degeneration in Abby's nervous system provides her with that buffer. Because of the interruption, her brain isn't overloaded with the Ardat Yakshi's full power . Also, I think that's why _you_ can't meld with her Samara. You're not strong enough. Proverbially speaking, to get a signal through you have to overload her nervous system."

There was silence in the spacious office for several seconds. Shepard wondered what impact this news would have on Samara, knowing that there was at least one person out there who could survive her remaining daughters. She wondered what impact this would have in the asari community...

"It makes... sense," Samara said finally. "This is... a significant... theory."

Miranda seemed irritated that Samara didn't acknowledge it as fact immediately but she sighed and continued regardless. "Now, I've looked for any indication that her genetic makeup is engineered. You can normally find interrupted markers along the DNA but so far I've found nothing. Her condition seems natural but I'm finding it less and less likely – especially considering that not one of the doctors that she named for her treatment or any of her family members exists. So, either she's a _very_ good liar or those memories were put there." She turned to Shepard. "I think it is a good thing that we're going to Dr. T'soni," she said. "Her resources are currently much better than ours and it won't hurt to ask her to look into Abigail's past."

Crossing her arms, Shepard shrugged half heartedly. "If the price isn't too high for her service then sure," she said. "We'll see what she's willing to trade. I'm not asking her any favours."

Miranda frowned at her tone and glanced at Samara who straightened up and went to the door. "I need to go and meditate on what we've learned," she said solemnly. "Thank you for your help Miranda." She gave Shepard a deep nod and left the room, leaving the two humans alone. Jane saw the way Miranda sat back and crossed her own arms in front of her chest. In their own way, they were both very insecure.

"Are you still mad at Liara for handing your body to us?" Miranda queried, surprising Shepard who hesitated before she shrugged, turning to the window in Miranda's office.

"That would be ungrateful wouldn't it?" she queried. "Especially in the light of things." She sighed and shook her head. "Not anymore, not now."

Miranda didn't move but Shepard could feel her gaze burning at her back. "What is it then?" she queried. "Why are you so... touchy when it comes to her? She was your friend Shepard."

Jane sighed and shook her head, turning back towards the ex-Cerberus officer. "_Was_ being the operative word it seems," she pointed out. "Friends don't use other friends Miranda. She manipulated me into finding her that information on Nyxeris."

Miranda raised an eyebrow and shrugged, making a vague motion with her hand. "And, was that such a chore?" she queried. "You probably saved her life when you got her the information which led her to realize that her secretary was a double agent."

"Yes," Shepard said coldly. "And I saved the lives of those other poor fools that were working for the Shadow Broker, who Liara was willing to _execute_ if I didn't narrow down the field. She used me - she knew that if she threatened to kill _everybody_ then I'd help her. She's changed Miranda, she's become angry and bitter. And she has people murdered to get what she wants. Now, if her causes were still good that's fine, but all she wants is revenge. And that, _that_ makes me angry at her. That's why I don't want to deal with her because I'm frightened to give her any more information that she might use against me. Besides, I don't want to give her another so called reason to delve down deeper into this... this madness that she has wrapped around her."

Miranda looked at Shepard for a very long time before she sighed and got up to stand beside her.

"When I first met Dr. T'soni," she said carefully. "She was distraught Shepard. Naturally I didn't know much about her before we met but... I could see that she had changed. Your death had broken something inside her and, if you look closely, you'll realize that it's like that in all your old crew. Joker, Dr. Chakwas, Tali, Garrus... When they saw you die, they changed. Fundamentally. Even Ashley Williams. A month ago, I wouldn't have understood it but now – after I almost saw you plunge to your death when you leapt from the Collector base to the Normandy, I know why. Knowing you completes a person Shepard, your approval, your acceptance. I can't explain it but you have this ability to become..." She trailed off, clearly embarrassed. "Look," she said turning to Jane as the Commander gave her a surprised look. "All I'm saying is be gentle with her and show a little bit more understanding. You change people, so don't be surprised when they change again when you're not around."

Shepard blinked at the woman, thinking that apart from the time she spoke to her after they helped relocate her sister in Illium, Miranda had never gotten this personal with her.

"I don't know what to say," she said eventually, realizing that it was no answer but that it was the only one she had.

Miranda chuckled softly and patted her shoulder. "Say that you'll make me a Latte right this minute and that you'll give me some time to see my sister when we're in Illium. That's all I want to hear from you."

**The End of Chapter 19**

_Coming Soon: Chapter 20 - Illium_


	20. Chapter 20

_**AN: It might be late but it's long. ;) Forgive me – it's month end which comes with a lot of responsibilities normally. **_

**Illium**

**The next day there was a buzz on the Normandy. **

Feeling the change, Abby remained out of the way in the mess hall as she watched the crew energetically move from one place to the other. Kasumi had explained to her that they were approaching Illium and – because it was one of the safest ports in the galaxy, Shepard had given most of the crew the day off. A handful had volunteered to stay onboard the Normandy but Kasumi said that it was hardly necessary.

"No port is as well monitored as the one in Illium," Kasumi was saying as she joined Abby with an armful of clothes. "You _have_ to have so much security in a place a like Illium. It takes a lot of law enforcement for people to become as corrupt as they are. Come with me, I've got something for you."

Abby gave her a sceptical look as she pushed herself up. She had spent a lot time resting the day before and felt worlds better. She also suspected that Chakwas had slipped her something just before she went to bed because she had slept like the dead, unhindered by her asari dreams. She moved better, hardly limped and could tell that she had more control over her mobility.

It was going to be a good day.

"If it's so corrupt, why doesn't the law do anything?" she queried, a little bit irritated when Kasumi laughed at her when they went into her room.

"It's Illium," she said. "That's just how it is. That's one of the reasons Samara won't go there often, she knows that she shouldn't look too hard at everybody as she might be obligated to kill them. Here, try these on, you're not going out dressed like that. Shepard's given me permission and credits I should add, to get you some clothes."

Looking at the clothes Kasumi had collected, Abby raised an eyebrow and picked up the one shirt. "And these?" she queried and, after checking to see if the door was closed, took off her own shirt and pulled the other over her head. It was _way_ too big for her.

"Donations from the crew," Kasumi said pleased. "Even on a ship people have clothes that they don't like to wear, which leads you to wondering why they brought it from the beginning. You can thank Tanya from engineering for most of them. She's pregnant so she can't wear most of her civilian clothes. Also, I've gotten you a perfectly legitimate identification..." Kasumi winked at Abby. "And Kelly said that she's busy formatting an extra omni-tool for you that you can use."

Abby raised an eyebrow and dug through the meagre pile, she still had the shoes in which she came so that wouldn't be a problem. "I'm surprised this Tanya's not getting off at Illium," she pointed out. "I don't think a starship is any place to have a kid."

Kasumi laughed. "Don't let Shepard hear you say that," she said. "She was raised in the Alliance Fleet. And, the crew's sticking to the Normandy. Because they've deflected from Cerberus they are afraid that the organisation will come after them. So, they're here to support Shepard. She'll get us through this."

Abby smiled slightly and found a plain shirt that she was comfortable to wear. "You're all very taken with her," she pointed out which made Kasumi laugh.

"Aren't you?" the thief queried. "I mean think about it – this is the woman who defeated Saren and Sovereign, the first Reaper organics have encountered in millennia. Then, she comes back from the dead. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't give Cerberus all the credit for that. She wanted to come back, she held onto life. That's why she was still... here. And then, something which the rest of the world doesn't yet acknowledge is that she led us _through_ the Omega-4-Relay and destroyed a Collector Ship despite what the Illusive Man said. Shepard is the woman of our time. She's a hero, a true hero." Kasumi smiled. "I'd leapt into certain death with her every day – because I know she'll get me out."

Abby laughed and shrugged. "Well, now that you put it that way," she said and selected a pair of pants. "But no, you're right. I am taken with her. She's... all I expected. And more somehow."

* * *

><p><strong>Jane stared at herself in the mirror, her face twisted in a frown as she fussed with her hair. <strong>She had never had easy hair and the time that she had spent _dead_ didn't improve it. She had always kept it short, but it was growing at an almost unnatural pace. Right now she wasn't sure whether she should stick it out and let it grow or take a scissor to it herself. She managed to brush everything behind her ears using pins to keep the most of it in place and finally dropped her brush, giving up. There was a beep from her door which made her pause.

"EDI?" she queried. "Who's looking for me?"

"Samara," the AI said monotonously. "Should I let her in?"

Shepard breathed deeply and nodded, stepping out of her bathroom. "Sure," she said, patting down her hair as the door shifted open, revealing the Justicar. "Hello Samara."

The Justicar nodded at her, her face as serene as always. "Shepard," she said and gave her a once over. "You look..." She seemed to struggle for words, clearly taken aback by her appearance. "You are... a beautiful woman Jane."

Shepard had opted to wear a pair of formal dark pants, a dark green shirt and a long black leather jacket. She rarely wore civilian clothes and had almost considered going to Illium in the formal wear she used on the Normandy but the Cerberus sign on it made her hesitate. She wasn't going to claim allegiance with them anymore.

"Well," Shepard said, embarrassed by the compliment. "I can hardly run around Illium in my armour with my heavy weapons strapped to my back can I? Have you decided to come along?"

Watching her face, Samara shook her head, moving to the hamster cage that Kelly had given her in her first month on the Normandy. It was considerably easier to keep alive than the fish.

"I have decided against it," Samara said solemnly. "I make people nervous, despite the allegiance that I've sworn to you. And, I think that you should see Liara T'soni alone. It's my understanding that you two have not had time to talk alone since your resurrection."

Shepard snorted but didn't say anything. Again, she reached up and touched her hair. "I would appreciate it if you go with me," she tried again. "I need your council Samara, you know what we're looking for here. You might ask better questions than I can."

The Justicar shook her head sadly. "Miranda has already given you a dossier," she said. "And, you don't need me Shepard. You can do this on your own. I trust you to ask the right questions and report back to me."

Jane suddenly felt her heart constrict with pain. "Are you weaning me?" she queried softly, much to the Justicar's surprise. When she didn't reply though, Jane knew that she had guessed true. "This is still your investigation as well Samara. Even if it doesn't involve your daughters, it's still an Ardat Yakshi. Please... don't... withdraw now. We'll need you."

"If we find evidence of foul play," Samara pointed out. "Remember that Jane." She paused and smiled at the Commander. "Also, remember to ask Liara about Fedora's allegiances. I think that we should find out who she worked for and why they were looking for Asura."

Jane relaxed a little, happy that Samara gave an input. "I'll do so," she said. "And, you still feel that we shouldn't tell anybody else of Abby's... ability, until we know more of her?"

"Yes," Samara said immediately. "If word of her existence gets out, you will have a hundred asari standing on your doorstep trying to claim her. Especially in Illium, they'll find some sort of clause or law that will force you to hand her over. You don't know how desperate my people are to find a cure for the Ardat Yakshi... situation. Even I have to stop myself from taking her for myself and introducing her to my daughters. She would make them feel... Less alone."

Jane nodded, understanding. On impulse, she stepped closer to the Justicar and reached out to touch her arm. When she didn't pull away, Jane carefully stepped up to her and hugged her. To her delight, the asari allowed her to, wrapping her arms around Jane's back and holding her close. The moment felt as if it lasted for an eternity but in truth it was only for a few seconds before Samara pulled away. She smiled at Jane and caressed her cheek. Jane almost stepped closer to kiss her, but couldn't make herself close the distance. Her mouth went dry and she looked at Samara, pleading her to take the first step but the Justicar remained where she was.

"I'll be here when you get back Jane," she said simply and turned around. "Good luck with Dr. T'soni."

* * *

><p><strong>They left the ship together but soon split up when they reached the end of the trading floor.<strong> Abby watched as Commander Shepard and Miranda paused and briefly conferred with each other in hushed voices before Miranda left for the club, Eternity. She looked radiant as ever, wearing a dark blue dress that made her look completely different than when she was onboard the Normandy. And, there was something different in her eyes today. She seemed... softer. Excited.

Abby guessed that she was going to go and see her sister.

Shepard watched Miranda leave, then turned to the two of them. "Where will you two be going?" she queried, more in Kasumi's direction than Abby's. Kasumi, who was once again wearing her hood, shrugged and linked arms with Abby.

"I was thinking of taking her away from this sector," she said. "There's a lovely park a couple of blocks from here with stores all around it. It's a nice place if you just want to hang out."

Shepard raised an eyebrow but nodded slowly, glancing at Abby. "Take it easy," she said. "And keep an eye on each other. Remember that there are quite a lot of Eclipse Sisters in Illium and we're not sure who was working with Fedora. Though," she hesitated. "I doubt they'll try anything. They've cracked down on the mercenaries since we made that bust on Captain Wasea, but still – keep an eye out."

Kasumi mock saluted the Commander. "Will do Shep," she said. "Don't worry though, we'll be fine. We'll see you around alright? Good luck with your lady love."

The comment immediately made Shepard's eyes narrow. "Liara and I were not involved," she said. "You shouldn't say something like that so idly here on Illium."

The thief seemed unfazed by her tone and pulled Abby towards the nearest taxi hub. "Suit yourself Shep!" she said. "We're off to have some fun. Good luck with your meeting then." She chuckled as she marched Abby away. "She's _really_ touchy when it comes to Liara. They were friends you know. I think our Shep has a soft spot for the asari. Have you noticed how she and Samara behaves around each other?"

She had, the sexual tension between the two was more obvious than a bad tempered bull. Following Kasumi and trying hard not to gape at everything and everybody, Abby spared one last glance in the Commander's direction. She was still standing where they had left her, but she had turned towards the stairs leading up to Liara's office which Abby recognized from the game. She could tell that the Commander was tense by the way she patted her hair one last time. Feeling sorry for her, Abby turned her attention to Kasumi who had just hailed them a cab.

"So," the thief said happily. "How much do you like shopping Dr. Gable?"

* * *

><p><strong>She took the steps one at a time, her gaze fixed on the floor in front of her.<strong> When Jane was almost at the top of the stairs she paused and glanced up, noticing that Nyxeris's office was still empty. She would've thought that Liara would've gotten a replacement by now with her workload but clearly she hadn't gotten round to hiring yet. She wondered bitterly whether Liara would get an indentured servant as was the habit in Illium. Why hire somebody if you can just buy a slave? They didn't call it slavery of course, but that's what it was.

Shepard had no time for it. When she was still on an Alliance ship with her parents, their cruiser responded to a distress call from a colony called Mindoir who was attacked by batarian slavers. There had been almost no survivors and the few that they managed to rescue were left scarred and hollow eyed. Shepard remembered looking at them through the infirmary windows and thinking that they would never be the same.

She had never condoned the slave trade after that.

Sighing, realizing that there was no use delaying the inevitable; Shepard stepped up to Liara's office and pressed the bell, waiting for a response. She didn't have to wait long as the door opened, revealing the slim asari archaeologist whom she had rescued on Therum. She was nothing like that archaeologist anymore though. Where the old Liara had been soft spoken and awkward, this Liara was cool and calculated. She hardly smiled anymore and there was a distance in her eyes that hurt Shepard more than she cared to admit to herself. They might not have been lovers onboard the old Normandy, but they had been close – with Liara helping her deal with the nightmares that came from the Prothean warning that had been locked in her mind.

She missed her. She missed their friendship, the way Liara would make her laugh or the way Liara would do something which would embarrass her for the whole day even though it was a minor event. When Shepard looked at Liara, she found herself missing everything that she had lost when the old Normandy was destroyed and that hurt.

Liara's new attitude hurt.

"I hope you didn't just come here to stand and stare at me," Liara said with a brief smile, dragging Shepard out of her thoughts. "Or have you forgotten how to speak Commander?"

Jane blinked and forced herself to smile, hesitantly leaning forward to hug Liara. "I'm sorry Liara," she said. "I was just thinking."

The asari motioned Jane into her office with a small smile, closing the door behind them. "I'd ask you what you were thinking about, but then I'd have to pay you," she pointed out. "Sit, please – can I get you anything?"

Jane took a seat, watching Liara as she went to the one corner of the room. "I'm fine," she said. "I see you haven't replaced Nyxeris yet." At the name of her former assistant, Liara's mouth thinned as she shrugged, pouring herself a cup of tea before she went to sit behind her desk.

"I find it hard to trust anybody now," the asari confessed. "Nyxeris was with me a year and she was good at what she did for me. I trusted her with far too much and I almost paid for it. You saved my life Shepard. Again."

Jane had to snort as she shook her head. "You gave me the information," she said. "I was merely the tool." She found that she put extra emphasis on the word and immediately berated herself, thinking that she should show more self control. It was still Liara... She wished that she could believe that. "How are you Liara?"

The young asari shrugged, taking a sip of her tea. "Still searching," she said. "Still wading through useless bits of information for something that I can use to locate the Shadow Broker. I won't stop until I find him." The anger in her voice came through clearly. "He can't run..." She trailed off, her cheeks darkening slightly when she saw the look Jane gave her. She knew that she didn't like it that Liara became so obsessed with this hunt of hers so Liara had the sense to change the subject.

"How are the rest of the crew?"

"Fine," Jane said and crossed her legs. "Tali said that she's coming here later, she just needs to get a few things for engineering. And Garrus would've loved to come but..." Here she chuckled. "He's under lockdown."

"Lockdown?" Liara queried surprised. "Why?"

"Mites," Jane said happily. "Abby found that both he and Grunt picked up mites somewhere and they are _sticky_ little bastards. Mordin's trying to get rid of them – I've never seen the salarian so happy. It was so funny Liara. You should've seen his face. He was _so_ shocked!"

For the briefest moment Liara smiled, genuinely this time – not the gesture she put on her face to be polite. Her blue eyes sparkled as she chuckled, taking a sip of her tea to hide her mirth. "I can imagine," she said. "They can be very hard to get rid of." Her face changed again and she became more distant. "This Abby – this is the Dr. Gable you told me about?" Before Shepard had come she had send Liara a message with Abby's full name, also warning Liara that they were coming. It had been as short as the message Liara send her. And as cold.

"Yes," Shepard said, crossing her arms as well. _Couldn't we just laugh about the mites for a second longer? Can't we just pretend that we're here as friends?_ "Abigail Gable. Have you found anything about her?"

Liara sat back a little, crossing her hands in front of her desk. "No," she said simply. "Nothing. That woman doesn't exist, Shepard. But you know as much."

Shepard shrugged and looked past Liara out of the window. "I had hoped that you might've found something else. Your resources are far more extensive than mine."

"Hmm..." Liara murmured, watching her. "I heard that you and the Illusive Man had a difference of opinion. For what it's worth Shepard, I think you did the right thing, destroying that base."

Instead of being glad at Liara's approval, Shepard found the same bitter anger that she had been feeling ever since she left her office the first time boil up inside her. "My, you're sources are extensive," she said dryly. "The Council won't even admit that I went _through_ the Omega-4-Relay. And they rule the galaxy."

The young asari frowned at her, picking up her tone immediately. "What's that supposed to mean?" she queried, unfolding her hands so that she could put them palm down on her desk. "This is what I do Shepard, I hear things. I listen. I put the information together."

"And sell it to the highest bidder," Shepard pointed out. "I know what you're doing now Liara. But I can still not understand _why_ you do it."

"Because I'm looking for the Shadow Broker," Liara said all too quickly. "And, I actually have to make a living Shepard. Not all of us are _funded._"

Jane frowned at her and gestured with her hand. "You earned a perfectly decent living as an archaeologist Liara," she said. "I know of no less than ten universities who would hire you on the spot and give you a good job. You didn't have to become an information broker. You chose this and I cannot understand why."

She saw the signs, the way Liara's eyes narrowed or her brows came together. She was going to lose her temper and it was going to be spectacular. But then the young asari surprised her as she took a deep breath and collected herself. She did not let her temper run wild and, in a strange way, Shepard admired that. It showed that she had grown up.

"There's hardly any need for me to be an archaeologist anymore Shepard," she said bitterly. "We now know that the Protheans were destroyed by the Reapers and the last remnants of them taken and turned into the Collectors. There's no need for me to dig around dirt anymore. You've done it all."

"There are other digs," Shepard continued regardless. "Other old information. You didn't have to become this Liara. This is not you."

That temper was still there, still simmering on the surface. "Let me remind you Commmander," Liara said coldly. "That you were gone for two years. You don't know me anymore."

"Dying wasn't my choice Liara," Shepard said angrily. "You all act as if I willingly threw myself into space but I didn't. Coming _back_ wasn't even my choice..." She trailed off, realizing that she was about to restart the old argument that they had. And, it was hardly necessary now. She was... happier now that she had broken away from Cerberus. She felt like her own person again, not a tool in someone else's hands. She could make her own choice, have things go her own way.

Liara looked at her blankly and stood up abruptly, turning her back towards her as she stared out across her window.

"We rarely like the choices that we make," she said softly sounding as if she was quoting someone. "But we do what we have to do and we live with those choices because we made them. And we take responsibility for them." Shepard realized that she was quoting _her_ words. The ones which she spoke to Liara when she speaking about her decision to save Ashley Williams instead of Kaiden Alenko. When Liara turned back to her she seemed calmer, but more distant.

"I'm sorry that I handed you to Cerberus Shepard," she continued. "I did that not for the good of the galaxy, but for my own reasons. No matter what I tell myself, that is at the heart of it. Sometimes, we have to make emotional decisions about the ones we love. Nobody blamed you for choosing Ashley above Kaiden. I hope that in time you will stop blaming me."

It hurt. Her words hurt. Jane pulled back, closing her eyes involuntarily as she tried to deal with everything that she felt. When she opened them again, she found it hard to meet Liara's gaze as she shrugged and sighed. "I don't... blame you Liara," she said finally. "Not... Not... I don't know. I don't blame you. And, I'm not angry, not anymore. I'm sorry if you feel that, I'm sorry for the way I acted when last I was here."

It was a start and she found that Liara smiled at her, genuinely for the first time. "And I'm sorry that you are disappointed in me," she said sadly. "I'm sorry my chosen path vexes you so. But, it is as it is Jane. I hope you can understand that in time. And, I'm sorry about Cerberus but you must believe that I cannot lose faith in you. I have lost faith in a lot of people, including myself, in the past two years. But, not in you."

Shepard smiled though she could still not make herself accept what Liara had become. But, it was a start. At least they were smiling at each other again.

"Let me tell you a little bit more about Abigail Gable," she said and sat forward. "Then you can give me your theories as to whom might want information on her."

**The End of Chapter 20. **


	21. Chapter 21

_**AN: Month end... Busy... Chapter... Forced... me... to... finish...**_

**The Park**

Sitting in the sunshine on a park bench, Abby closed her eyes and took what felt like her first breath in days or even weeks maybe. She was surprisingly at peace as she sat there amidst the flurry of activity that came with a pleasant day, alien kids and fountains. As water was a universal thing, it seemed that the urge to play in it was as well.

Abby had been pleasantly surprised with Illium. She had not paid a lot of attention to it in the game and didn't realize that the whole planet was actually built in the air. With surface temperatures too high for comfort the mostly asari run planet had reached up to the heavens where they lived in elaborately designed skyscrapers that supported sport stadiums, neighbourhoods and even parks. She had learned all of this from her new omni-tool, which admittedly was still showing her who's boss. She had never been very technologically adept and she had never even considered gaming until she spent a week with a good friend of hers and discovered her son's Play Station. When she reached the Illium level she had still been giddy having survived the attack on the Horizon Colony (which had taken her hours) and had hardly bothered to read anything about it. Although the asari made her nervous, she liked it but then again, she also suspect that she would like _any_ planet more than Banrio.

There was a shift next to her as Kasumi sat down. She had not seen the woman approach but the thief would make a ninja sound like an elephant. She had what looked like two twisted bread sticks in her hands and happily handed Abby one. The vet hesitated as Kasumi had bought her something perfectly horrible only an hour before which had _not_ gone down well.

The asari liked strange things in their seafood.

Things that were alive.

"I thought you'd enjoy the simplicity of this," Kasumi said with a smile. "Simple sweet bread on a stick. Cinnamon, sugar and raisons. The most exciting flavour that it has is that hint of custard that you get between the layers." When Abby didn't bite into it immediately she grinned and patted her back. "And, I promise that this meal won't try to kill you. Scout's honour."

Searching the stick for movement, Abby smiled slightly and poked at it. "You're not a scout Kasumi," she pointed out. "And you know what they say about honour amongst thieves."

Kasumi grinned and to Abby's surprise sat back and put her arm around her shoulders. "That we have a lot of it?" she queried. "Come on pet, take a bite. You won't regret it."

Smiling slightly, shaking her head at Kasumi's enthusiasm, Abby tried to bread and immediately voiced her approval by a pleased sound. It was delicious and just what she needed to make this day seem perfect. It was strange how, in this foreign world, in this life that was not real, that could not be real, she managed to find contentment. She had certainly not felt this way in days or even weeks.

"You seem happy," Kasumi pointed out, having finished her bread. "You like shopping this much?" They had bought quite a few things which had already been sent to the Normandy. Abby wasn't sure whether she would get round to wearing any of it, but it had been interesting to watch Kasumi heckle the stingy sales reps of Illium.

"I'm..." Abby hesitated, struggling to find the words for what she was feeling. "I'm just enjoying the sunshine. And the atmosphere and the company." She shrugged, feeling embarrassed suddenly. "I haven't had a day like this in weeks. And... I feel good Kasumi. I haven't... I mean..." How do you explain to someone that you were ecstatic because you haven't fallen over your own feet? Or you haven't broken anything yet? "I guess it's just all the fresh air."

Kasumi smiled, though it was hard to see what was in her gaze when she looked at Abby. Patting the woman on the back, she stood up and made a vague gesture in some direction. "I have to go see a man about a dog," she said. "While we're here. It won't take long. Do you mind?" Her sentences were short but still lively and seemingly unconcerned but Abby knew immediately that the thief wouldn't just randomly ask to see somebody.

It had to be important.

She shrugged and nodded, smiling at the woman as she did so. "Sure," she said. "Go ahead. It must be boring being babysitter the whole time."

Kasumi laughed, the relief clear in her voice. "It's hardly a chore," she said. "I'll be right back Abby, don't go anywhere alright?"

Abby nodded and watched as Kasumi disappeared back into the crowded park. She lost sight of her very quickly, though knew that with Kasumi that could mean anything from she was standing behind her to she was halfway across Illium by now. The woman moved like a snake when she wanted to.

Settling back, Abby finished her bread, still watching the commotion in the park. She began to feel herself nodding off as time progresses and had to sit up to wake herself. Yawning, wondering how much time had passed (and having forgotten how to check the time on her omni-tool) she stood up and stretched to get some oxygen back into her system. It was while she was straightening up that she felt as if she was being watched.

Abby paused before she sat back down, scanning the crowd around her. Her gaze turned to the asari immediately and for a moment she held her breath, scanning each of their faces to see if she could pick out Asura. When she didn't see anybody that she recognized specifically, she started sitting down when a movement caught her eye. She didn't know what had made her look but she had caught of glimpse of a plain dressed batarian seconds before he disappeared behind one of the large park trees. She knew for a fact that she would not be able to tell whether it was Fedora's companion or not (and she had no idea what happened to him) but she was fairly certain that he had been watching her. More alert now, Abby slowly sank down on one knee so that she could pretend to tie her shoe laces. She dropped her head, using her hair to obscure her face and scanned the rest of the crowd. This time she picked up out a human and an asari staring at her.

_Shit_, she found herself thinking. _Kasumi?_ She looked around for the thief but couldn't find her. Images of Banrio flashed through her mind as she remembered the chaos that had exploded around her. Surely she was imagining all of this? Shepard had said that Illium was safe... The batarian, the human and the asari all started moving towards her as one. Their pace was slow but deliberate; they were most definitively coming towards her.

Closing her eyes, Abby pretended that she had not seen them and slowly started walking away from the bench, thinking that if Kasumi was watching her that she would come to her immediately if she saw her leaving. She kept glancing around for the thief but couldn't find her. Her mouth went dry when she realized that the people following her might've distracted the thief.

Or hurt her.

Abby picked up her pace, glancing over her shoulder to see the three people fall in step a couple of yards behind her. It was a mistake because when she met their gazes, she could tell immediately that they knew she now knew that they were coming for her. Her heart skipped a beat and in a moment of blind stupidity and panic, Abby started to run.

She chose the straightest path across the path, her gaze searching for more people who might be following her and for Kasumi. She had always been good at running and was still quite fit as she had not stopped the activity even if it meant she would have to eat asphalt every now and again. But, her leg was sore and when she glanced back she realized that they were gaining on her fast. Panicked she looked for a way out, now being at the edge of the park where the store front began. She wove through the terminals, bumping into their tenants and clients alike. A lot of rude remarks followed her but she paid them no mind. She saw a gap between two buildings and raced towards it but suddenly found a small round alien in her way. _A volus._ She jumped over it and stumbled only to be caught by his two large turian body guards who yanked her to her feet and started shouting at her.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry!" She yelled, managed to pull out of their grip, losing the loose black jacket that she had been wearing in the process and continued running to the alley. It was filled with storage containers from the nearby stores and metal stairs that probably acted as fire escapes. She was about to run through it to the other side when someone hissed at her.

"Here!"

Abby looked up at to see a dark silhouetted figure motioning her upwards. The person was on the second walkway that had no ladder reaching up to it but the figure hunched, holding out her hand. _Kasumi..._

Abby didn't bother looking as she leapt up, grabbed the woman's hand and allowed her to pull her up. "Go up!" the person hissed when she was on the walkway. "Open window! Go!"

Relief that she had an ally Abby rushed forward blindly, taking the stairs two at a time. She didn't even bother looking back to see where her pursuers were, trusting that she was safe with her friends. She fell through the open window, her breathing ragged as her world was plunged into darkness. Strong hands grabbed her and pulled her up, taking her to the corner and putting a hand over her mouth.

"Be quiet," a voice whispered so softly she hardly heard it. "Try not to breathe too loudly."

Abby shivered and tried to hold her breath, blinking when she saw the figure who had been running behind her appear in the room without actually having gone through the window. Had Kasumi been cloaked? Who was with her? The person stood still for five seconds by the window, then ran into the darkness towards another window that was open. Seconds later the batarian burst through, breathing heavily as he ran towards her. The human followed, cursing when the figure climbed through the other window.

"Tell Lea to call for back up!" the batarian hissed. "She's fucking fast!"

Abby closed her eyes, feeling tears that she had no control over trail down her cheeks and over the other person's hand. She could feel the woman's strong curves pressing against her and wondered whether it was Samara. It wasn't Miranda, she was sure of that. The human moved back to the dim light of the window, standing with his back towards them as he called up his omni-tool and asked for more help. The batarian meanwhile had already climbed through the last window and was running after the diversion. She realized suddenly with a wave of panic that she was still holding her breath and that she was going to have to breathe soon. Her body shuddered and the woman holding her pulled her tighter against her, wrapping a secure arm around her chest. Abby grabbed her wrist, her hands tightening around it in effort not to breathe.

_Leave,_ she found herself begging the human. _For heaven's sake, just leave..._

Her body shuddered again and the hand around her mouth tightened. _I'm going to smother to death..._

The human moved, running towards the other window to catch up with the batarian. He was scarcely through it before Abby's breath exploded from her, her knees giving way as she gulped for air. She had a flash headache as spots danced before her eyes and would've crumbled to the ground had the woman not been holding her up.

"Ssh," she whispered, pressing her head against her chest and running her fingers through her loose hair. "It's okay. It's okay, don't worry – you're save." Her hand touched Abby's cheek as she caressed the tears away and pressed a light kiss on her forehead. "You're safe Abigail."

Abby stiffened and realized that she was holding her breath again, her hands shaking on the grip she had on the woman's wrist. _Save me,_ she thought. _Heaven save me... It's not Samara._

Her body remembered the woman, the contours that pressed against her, the smell that filled her senses. The slight electrical sensation that accompanied her touch. The feeling of calm that threatened to wash around her. Even as her fear increased tenfold, she felt her body betray her with a memory of the destructive pleasure she had felt the last time _this_ woman touched her.

Asura Dushkriti.

"It's alright Abby," the woman said again but this time her voice was more cautious. "It's..."

Abby pulled away from her, violently, her legs giving way the moment she pulled out of her support. She sat down hard but immediately fumbled to get up. "Don't touch me!" She hissed and managed to scramble to her feet. "Don't you dare..." A biotic light flared up in the darkness, revealing Asura's face and her bright indigo eyes. Her gaze was fixed on Abby's as she held up her hands in surrender.

"It's okay Abby," she said softly. "I'm not going to hurt you. Please, just relax... And get away from the window, they might still be around."

Feeling trapped and panicked, Abby glanced out of the window and took a step away from it. Her stomach was twisting in fear and she realized that she was going to throw up if she didn't get herself under control.

"What the hell is this?" she demanded, latching onto anger because it was easier to deal with than fear. "What just happened?"

Asura's face was calm as she kept her hands where Abby could see them. "They were mercenaries hired to apprehend you," she said. "Seems that now the Blue Suns and Eclipse alliance wants you as well." Her eyes travelled to Abby's face where just a shadow of the bruise that Fedora had given her still lingered on her cheek. "I am very glad that you managed to get away from them. They are murderers."

Abby snorted and shook her head. "Like you?" she snapped. "I know what you are Asura. I know what you can do. You tried to kill me."

To her amazement and disgust the woman smiled, looking pleased. "I know," she said. "And you _lived_ Abby. I have never had anyone survive my touch. Never." A look of hunger came and went across her features, making Abby shudder. She would've stepped away, but she knew that she had nowhere to go and she would not be able to escape Asura even if she tried.

"How many have you killed?" she said. "What are you going to do to me?"

Asura's face saddened as she shook her head, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "None that I regret," she said simply. "I'm not going to hurt you, you have to believe me Abby. Banrio was... a mistake."

Despite the situation Abby chuckled. "A mistake?" she said bitterly, remembering the carnage. "Is that what you called it? People died there Asura! What the hell happened?"

Studying her, the asari shook her head sadly. "I was hiding there," she said. "When these mercenaries found me. Maon, the turian that you saved is a very good friend of mine. Thank you." Abby tried to close her ears to the sincerity in the woman's voice but it was undeniable. She remembered the desperation that Maon had shown when he told her to go and find the asari.

"Is he under your spell too?" she said bitterly. "Are you using him?"

Asura shook her head wordlessly, her indigo eyes meeting Abby's. Despite what she tried to tell herself, Abby started to feel herself relax. She knew that it was the Ardat Yakshi's work, but she was scared and tired of fighting.

"What happened to Risha?" she asked without thinking, remembering the young asari from her dreams. In her dream she had not made it to the room and she had not tried to think about the memories again till now. To her surprise, though she realized she should've expected it, Asura recoiled as if slapped. She gaped at Abby then touched her forehead in shock.

"Of course... I never considered but..." She blinked at Abby. "We melded."

Feeling tired, Abby nodded and steadied herself. "So they say," she said. "Do you have my memories?"

The asari didn't answer her. "Do you still think that I'm a killer?" she asked instead, fixing Abby with a stern look, having recovered from her initial shock.

"I don't know what to think anymore," Abby confessed. "But I know that you like killing. Very much."

The Ardat Yakshi's mouth thinned but she didn't deny it as she crossed her arms and stepped back into the shadows. "There will be two deaths in Illium today that will be my doing," she said, making Abby shudder. "And if you want to understand, if you want to know what happened in my home, then you should ask Commander Shepard to take you to the planet Tetra in the Hourglass Nebula. You'll find Risha there – she'll tell you herself."

The name sounded familiar. Abby swallowed and hugged herself. "Is that the planet with the Twin Peaks?" she queried to which Asura nodded, though she felt a wave of relief. Risha wasn't dead it seemed.

"I'll ask her," she said. "I'm not with them Asura, they just saved me. I can't say where they will take us to next. And... We have a Justicar with us. Samara. She'll kill you if she finds reason to. She just killed her daughter who was also an Ardat Yakshi. A terrible one."

Asura nodded slowly. "I think it's safe to go now Abby," she said. "Go to Tetra. You'll find your answers there. You don't have to worry going out, I'll make sure that nobody touches you until you join your crew."

Her crew. Abby wished it was that simple. Feeling anxious and lonely suddenly, she climbed back through the window without another work, looking around to see that there were no mercenaries hanging around in the alleyway. She wondered who Asura had used to pretend to be her, then realized that it could've been anybody from a random stranger to a would be lover. Illium was filled with hired hands that could do all sorts of tasks for the right price. She got out of the building and carefully made her way back down to the alley. There she walked back to the park, feeling the pull in her side from her leg. She stepped back into the sunlit area and couldn't believe that she had enjoyed being in the park so much before. Now it felt as if everybody was watching her and everybody could be a threat. She glanced back to see if Asura was there but couldn't see her. None the less, she could feel the woman watching her.

She was about to limp back to the bench when she heard someone call her name and turned to see a very puzzled Miranda walk towards her, another young woman on her arm. She could tell that they were sisters, with similar looks and features. Both had the same intelligent eyes but whereas Oriana was smiling, the XO of the Normandy had a cold glare on her face.

"Abby," Miranda snapped, looking around her. "Where's Kasumi?"

"I... I lost her," Abby said, a wave of worry for the thief washing over her. Did the mercenaries hurt her? "I don't know where she is. I tried to look for her."

Miranda blinked at her and grabbed her arm, calling up her omni-tool. "Why didn't you just call her?" she said. "We gave you one of these for a reason."

Abby blinked at her, dumbfound. "I forgot how it works," she said. "I'm a vet." She said it not as an excuse, but because she felt the need to remind herself.

Miranda shook her head exasperated muttering something about how intelligence didn't help you if you had no common sense. She used Abby's omni-tool to call the thief who responded immediately.

"Where have you been?" Kasumi's voice sounded panicked. "Abby, I was about to call Shepard!"

Miranda cleared her throat. "It's Miranda here Kasumi," she said. "Abby forgot how to use her omni-tool. She's safe here with us." She gave the vet a pointed look, clearly showing her displeasure but Oriana laughed, a clear contrast to her sister.

"Lighten up Miri," she said. "Do you know how many times I get lost on new planets? And Illium's confusing. Hey," she held out her hand. "I'm Oriana."

"Abby," Abby said simply and turned to Miranda, her heart thundering in her chest. "I... I have to talk to Shepard. I remembered something."

**The End of Chapter 21**


	22. Chapter 22

_**AN: I've just finished playing the Arrival (reason this chapter was so late). Very good. Thank you again for all of the reviews, they are really appreciated. **_

**The Recital**

"**Tell me about asari melding,"** Shepard was saying some time later when she and Liara were still in the information broker's office. She had given Liara some basic information on Abby, saying that they had found her on Banrio, but that the woman seemed to have no recollection of how she got there. She didn't mention her unique genetics, nor did she say anything about an Ardat Yakshi, merely that the mercenaries that taken Abby because they thought she had some information about a fugitive that they were hunting. If Liara knew that Shepard was holding out on her, she didn't say but Jane did notice that her attitude became more and more distant as they talked. A lot of bridges had been burned, but Jane wasn't sure who had set the fire.

"In what sense?" Liara queried, puzzled by the apparent change of topic. They had been talking about the mercenaries before that – trying to establish links between Fedora and Jazek's soldiers and some of the groups that moved in Ilium. There were several people whom Fedora might have reported to – or worked with, but it was going to be difficult and time consuming to investigate them all. Jane didn't feel as if they had the time and she didn't want Liara to put in anymore work into it, lest the woman saw it as an excuse to ask her _another_ favour. She didn't feel like giving her any more support in her mad hunt for revenge on the Shadow Broker. She didn't want to see her friend fall any deeper into the darkness that had consumed her.

She only asked Liara to look into planets with defining landmarks such as the twin peaks or forests that Abby had described from her dream, but from the look the asari had given her she could tell that it too was going to be a long shot.

"Well," Jane said slowly. "Abby said that Fedora tried to take information from her. But, if I remember correctly – when you melded with me it was quite taxing on you. I got the impression that it wasn't easy."

Liara's mouth thinned as she shrugged. "That was hardly melding Shepard," she said. "It was more like… browsing. I searched through… I can't describe it. We didn't touch, we didn't become one. When we meld, our nervous systems, everything combines." Her eyes watched Shepard, strangely darker than usual. "They say it's one of the single most defining moments in a person's life."

_They say. _

Shepard remembered Liara confessing on the old Normandy that she had never melded with anybody. She presumed that the woman had still not taken that step and now, with the issues that she had trusting people, she doubted that she ever would. None the less, she found herself asking:

"Did you and this Feron ever meld?" It shouldn't have mattered to her, but she felt that if she could understand Liara's emotions towards the drell then she could understand the hate that burned inside her.

The asari blinked and shook her head immediately. "Feron and I were colleagues," she said. "Adversaries. Friends. Not lovers. I cannot see myself doing that with just anybody Shepard. You were the…" She paused, wide eyed and quickly corrected herself. "Browsing your mind was the closest I ever came to it. I do not wish to open myself up like that to anybody. Not so close after losing both you and my mother."

They stared at each other awkwardly.

"I came back Liara," Shepard said automatically but the asari frowned and shook her head.

"It's not the same," she said coldly. "We are not the same."

They certainly weren't. Shepard grimaced and pushed herself up without warning, not wanting to carry on. "Thank you for your help today Liara," she said blankly, noticing that Liara stood up as well without protesting her departure. "I think I've taken up enough of your time. I know that you are very busy."

"It was good seeing you again Jane," Liara said automatically and smoothly walked to the door. You couldn't tell that they had just stopped a conversation half way. "I will keep my ear to the ground about the mercenaries linked with Fedora. I'll tell you if anything comes my way."

Shepard sighed and nodded, wishing – not for the first time – that she didn't lead the life that she did. But, her mother had once said after her father's death that if one wished for things to change, but did nothing about it – then there was no use in wishing at all. She was trying to change, not only her life but the fate and lives of everybody in the galaxy.

"Thank you Liara," she said as they walked out of her office together and down the steps past Nyxeris' old office. "I appreciate everything that you've done for me."

Liara smiled but it didn't touch her eyes as her gaze picked up something by the foot of the stairs. "Let's hope," she said and inclined her head in greeting. "Ms. Lawson."

Shepard had noticed Miranda first – one always did when she walked into a room – but then she picked up that both Kasumi and Abby were there as well. Her two crew members looked as they always did, Miranda cool and calculated as she inclined her head in Liara's direction and Kasumi mysterious and mischievous in the hood that only showed her smile. It was Abby's demeanour that told her that something was wrong. The vet's body language was tense as she sat on a bench against the wall, her arms wrapped around her chest as she looked at Liara. She appeared nervous and agitated, her fingers moving just out of sight as she tapped them in a nervous taboo.

Shepard was unhappy to see her here, so close to Liara's office but there was nothing that she could do about it now. She had not wanted to asari to see her.

"Liara I'd like to introduce you to Kasumi Goto and Dr. Abigail Gable," she motioned to the two of them. "Guys this is Dr. Liara T'soni."

Kasumi was charming as always, flourishing her hand in an intricate movement as she bowed at Liara. "Your reputation precedes you Dr. T'soni," Kasumi said, her voice charming and filled with its usual mischief. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Liara smiled slightly and nodded at Kasumi, though her eyes were sharp when she studied the thief. "As does yours," she said neutrally. _"And_ yours Dr. Gable, Shepard has told me of your exploits. You are lucky to be in such good hands as hers. She takes care of her own." Her eyes turned to Shepard, though they held a look of accusation rather than admiration. "I will leave you with your crew Commander, we'll keep in touch."

She went up the stairs without another word, closing the door behind her.

Shepard saw Miranda shift awkwardly, her gaze fixed on Liara's door. "I'm sorry Shepard, my presence seemed to have put a bitter bite in her."

Sighing, pinching the bridge of her nose as she felt the beginnings of a headache, Jane shook her head. "It's got nothing to do with you," she said. "What's wrong? I sense that something big happened."

"We shouldn't talk about it here," Kasumi said and pulled Abby up. "Let's go back to the Normandy."

* * *

><p><strong>Pacing in the briefing room, Abby once again felt under scrutiny though this time she knew that she deserved it.<strong>

She was lying to Commander Shepard and it made her feel terrible.

"I just remembered it," she said, not looking at the people staring at her. "I can't tell you how. I was just thinking and... relaxing and it came to me. Admittedly I panicked a bit because it's strange – which is why I went to look for Kasumi."

"Which you shouldn't have done," Kasumi told her though it wasn't in a scolding tone. "I was coming back pet."

Abby sighed and shrugged, looking at the floor so that she could avoid looking at the other three women present. Miranda was standing in the corner, merely there as an observer where as Shepard and Samara stood side by side, their gazes completely focused on her.

"I panicked," she said. "I just panicked. This is all very new to me." She wanted to look to Shepard for support but was afraid that the woman might see the lie in her eyes. "The planet's name is Tetra, it's in the Hour Glass Nebula. I remember this. We have to go there, to my house..." She shuddered and shook her head. "To _her_ house. To Asura's house. There will be answers there." She shivered when she said the asari's name. "These memories must mean something. We have to go there." _She had to find Risha._

To her surprise, nobody said everything as they merely stared at her. Finally, Samara shifted and turned to Shepard. It wasn't a look of deference, merely a query, a silent request for her opinion. Jane met her gaze briefly, uncrossing her arms so that she could briefly touch the Justicar's wrist. She hardly seemed aware of the reaction, but Samara stiffened immediately.

"Do you know what we'll find there?" Jane queried, studying Abby's features as the vet met her gaze for the first time. She had to clear her throat as she shrugged.

"Answers," she said. "I expect to find answers there." It was as if the need to know that Risha was safe had taken over her soul. Since she had met with Asura, her mind had been itching for lack of a better way of putting it, as if she was trying to tell herself something but couldn't hear the words. She knew that the young asari meant a lot to the Ardat Yakshi and that she would do _anything_ to protect her. Abby could feel the emotion in the memory as if they were her own.

It made her feel distinctly schizophrenic.

Frowning, Shepard put her hand up, tracing a hidden line from her ear to her cheek as she turned to Miranda. "What do you think?" she queried then looked at the Justicar. "Samara?"

The asari spoke first, stepping away from Shepard so that she could move towards Abby, studying her. "If she feels that we must go," Samara said carefully. "Then perhaps we should. It is the only lead we've had so far – perhaps it can tell us more of Asura."

Miranda sighed to the asari's reply and shrugged when Shepard turned to her. "We have the time," she pointed out. "As you so conveniently said. If the rest of the crew is willing to go on this venture then I won't object." She glanced at her omni-tool. "Though I would object to us going there immediately. My sister has invited me to attend one of her recitals. It is outside of Nos Astra and you," she glanced at Shepard, "were invited. Abby and Kasumi as well." She hesitated, her face going stoic even as she said the words; "I would like to go."

Shepard smiled briefly, a kind look which hinted to a deep respect for Miranda. "Of course," she said. "I would like to meet your sister face to face. We're in no hurry..." She glanced at Abby who shrugged uncomfortably.

"Not to my knowledge, we just need to get there."

It took a very long time for Shepard to nod as she stared at Abby. Feeling the pressure of her gaze, the vet shifted and spread her hands, terrified. "I'm sorry I can't tell you anymore," she said sincerely. "I wish I could but I can't. There's nowhere else for me to go Commander. Nowhere else where I want to be. I have to go to this planet."

She held her breath until the woman finally inclined her head. "If it's that important, we'll go tomorrow," she said. "I have promised the crew a day off and I would like to attend Miranda's sister's recital." She took a moment to spare the ex-Cerberus officer a smile. "Then we'll go Abby."

The relief almost drained her. "Thank you," Abby breathed as she dropped her head, hugging herself in an effort not to start shaking. "Thank you very much."

"Well," Kasumi said out of the blue. "With that settled, we only have one more very important question to answer." Her voice had startled the others as they had completely forgotten that she was there. "What are we all wearing tonight?"

* * *

><p>"<strong>I have this for you."<strong>

Abby blinked up out of her thoughts to see Kasumi kneel before her, a thin box in hand. She wasn't dressed yet, but her hood was down and her dark eyes sparkled with amusement. Realizing that she had to do something, Abby carefully took the box, hugging it to her chest first to make sure that she has a decent hold on it before she moved her hands over it and put it in her lap.

"What is it?" she queried as Kasumi sat down next to her. The thief grinned and shrugged.

"Won't know till you open it," she said. "It's a souvenir."

Giving her a sideways glance, wondering where a thief would get a 'souvenir' she fumbled with the delicate clasp and opened the box. There was some fine white gold jewellery in it, an intricately woven chain for her neck, some earrings to fit and a delicate bracelet.

"If we're going to one of Miranda's high tone to do's," Kasumi said with a laugh. "You need some bling. This will fit nicely with your green dress." She gave Abby an admiring look. The vet had felt very self conscious in the dress and shoes Kasumi had chosen for her though luckily the thief had had the sense not to get her any high heels. She clearly liked to see some leg on her women as shown by the dress she had chosen for Shepard when they went after Keiji's grey box. Abby's dress was no exception.

"You're not dressed yet," she pointed out, not protesting when Kasumi helped her put on the jewellery. "These are lovely Kasumi, thank you for lending them to me."

Chuckling as she pushed Abby's hair aside to tie the necklace's clasp, Kasumi shrugged. "If you like it you can have it," she said. "I have so many shinies… And I rarely wear them. I'm going later, I'll join you there. Shepard's coming to get you in about 5 minutes. You two will travel there alone, Miranda's already gone to support her sister. It's interesting seeing her so… kind. She loves the girl." She patted the clasp and arranged Abby's hair back in place. "There, dusted."

Abby had managed to put on the bracelet but knew that she wouldn't have the co-ordination for the earrings. She had not liked the news that she'll be travelling alone with Shepard. She still felt terrible about lying to the woman and she suspected that Jane knew that she wasn't telling them everything. It was going to be a very awkward ride.

"Should I help you with those?"

Kasumi touched her shoulder to regain her attention. Swallowing, Abby nodded and shifted so that Kasumi could help her. She found her thoughts turning back to her encounter with Asura, of the calm that she felt with the woman. A part of her couldn't understand why she was so forgiving towards the asari who had tried to kill her and, for that matter, why she wasn't about to tell the rest of the Normandy crew that she had encountered her. She suspected it was because she wanted to go to the planet and she knew that if they heard that Asura had given the information then they would expect a trap.

It might be a trap anyway, but she didn't care. She had to know what happened to Risha. She had to know that the young asari from her dreams was alright.

* * *

><p><strong>She couldn't keep her hands still. <strong>Shepard watched as Dr. Gable fidgeted next to her, her gaze turned to the world outside, her dark eyes drinking in the world around them. Kasumi had given her some jewellery which suited her, proving to Jane that the thief had a very good taste in clothes, jewellery and, she suspected, women when it suited her. Abby's dress was cut sideways, the longer trail covering her injured leg to just below her knee where the other part came up a little bit higher.

It was nice to dress up. She wouldn't ever admit to like wearing the dress but it felt good and she liked seeing some other members of her crew let their hair down. Miranda in particular was always a treat to see in a dress. Even Abby cleaned up nicely, though the constant worry in her face spoiled the look a bit. Jane was about to ask her about it, still puzzled as to how she could remember the planet's name, when Abby shifted and turned to her.

"What did it feel like to die?" She queried, her voice devoid of any emotion.

Jane blinked startled and unconsciously sat back, moving away from the vet. "Excuse me?" she queried, hoping that her tone suggested that she really didn't want to approach the subject but the vet wasn't deterred.

"When you died in the first Normandy, only to be woken by Cerberus – how did it feel? Did you go anywhere? See anything? What happened to you?"

Jane hesitated, mulling over the woman's audacity to ask such a thing. Nobody had actually ever bothered to ask her that, purely Jane suspected, because they didn't want to know. She wouldn't have answered Abby at all, had it not been for the sincerity that she saw in the woman's gaze. There was a spark of desperation there, a deep need to know. She couldn't understand it but, she finally decided that it couldn't hurt her to answer the questions.

"Honestly?" Jane said softly. "I can't remember. I remember the panic that I felt when the ship exploded. The absolute void of sound that I went into as I was pushed into space..." She shivered involuntarily, her arms erupting with goose bumps. "Then... Panicked when I realized my suit had ruptured. The next thing I knew, I woke up in a Cerberus facility with tubes stuck in every possible place that they could find. I didn't dream, I certainly didn't go anywhere and I went through it alone. If I did see something on the 'other side' it didn't leave a lasting impression." _Was she bitter? Or disappointed? She could never tell. _

Abby mulled the words over for a few moments, not as distraught by the revelation as Jane would've thought people to be. "That must make your mission all the more important," she said softly. "Because for you, this is all that's real. There's nowhere else to go. If the Reapers succeed then it's game over..." Her mouth thinned with humour. "Critical Mission Failure."

Jane had never thought about it that way – but she realized that on some strange level – the vet was right. She did feel as if this was all that she had and – that she was most likely not going to get a second chance. She had to fight for this, for this world and for everybody else in it.

There was nothing and nobody else who could do it for them.

"You're right Abby," she said softly. "There is nowhere else to go. There's no escape, but we will triumph. I have no doubt of that. I will succeed. I have to."

* * *

><p><strong>They found Miranda easy enough because she certainly stood out in a crowd.<strong> She was talking to an older couple, a pleasant looking man and woman who smiling at the Cerberus officer as she spoke. As they approached, she caught Shepard's eye and hesitated before she smiled and motioned to the couple.

"Commander," she said formally. "This is Joseph and Annemarie Sheldon, Oriana's parents. Sir, ma'am – this is Commander Jane Shepard." Abby noticed that she didn't have to say anything else for Shepard's reputation spoke for itself.

"Commander," Joseph Sheldon said with a voice ringing with respect. "It is an honour to meet you, such an honour." He took the hand that Shepard offered him and squeezed it in appreciation. His wife did the same – her eyes sparkling with emotion as she took Shepard's hand from her husband's.

"My husband didn't want to tell you," she said, her voice touched with emotion. "But, he was in the Citadel two years ago when Sovereign and the Geth attacked. I owe you my family Commander, you saved his life that day you defeated them."

Abby, who had been studying the Commander's face, saw the brief flinch in the woman's eyes as she remembered that day. None the less she smiled and shook her head. "It wasn't just me," she said with a touch of sadness. "The Alliance did themselves proud that day. And everybody else – we could not have defeated Sovereign alone. Please, let me introduce a friend of ours – this is Dr. Abigail Gable, she is a vet who is currently travelling with us."

Thinking that she had never been a change of subject before Abby stepped forward and briefly shook hands with the two Sheldons. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said. "I'm looking forward to your daughter's performance."

They were about to reply when Miranda's eyes widened slightly as she said surprised: "Samara?"

Both Abby and Shepard turned to see the Justicar approach them slowly. It took Abby a moment or two to realize that it _was_ the Justicar. She looked completely different. She still had the symbols on her head, but she had changed into a dress of deep, velvet blue. For the first time since Abby met her, she looked unsure as she approached the group.

"Miranda," she said. "Shepard. Abby, I didn't expect to see you here."

The Commander was silent for several seconds. Abby felt a rush of warmth when she realized that the asari's arrival had left the woman speechless and with reason. In her strange alien way, Samara was beautiful.

"Err… Samara," Jane said and stepped forward as if to embrace the Justicar but hesitated. "You look… Beautiful. What are you doing here?"

The Justicar was frowning at Abby. "Kasumi told me that Abigail couldn't make it," she said. "She said that _you_ said that my presence would be required here… She must've been mistaken."

_Not mistaken,_ Abby thought with a grin. _Match making. She wanted Shepard to see Samara like this. _

"It… She…" Shepard stumbled over her words. "She isn't here yet." Abby didn't think that she would come.

Samara nodded slowly and turned around, a look of regret in her eyes. "I see," she said. "Then, as Dr. Gable is here I think I shall bid my farewell…"

"No!" Abby said quickly. "You know, I don't do well sitting down for long so you can have my place, I'll go back to the Normandy. You can have my place."

To her surprise, Miranda shared an amused look with her and stepped forward, motioning to the Justicar. "Why don't you take Kasumi's place Samara?" She suggested. "I don't think she's coming. And, we have to start finding our way inside. Right Mrs. Sheldon?"

The humans had missed what happened but seemed willing enough to go inside. "We do," she said. "Oriana would start getting worried. Please everybody, if you'll follow us."

They started heading inside leaving the Normandy crew to stare at each other awkwardly. Unable to hide her smile, Abby saw Miranda walk past Shepard into the hall, leaning forward to whisper something in her ear. The Commander gave her a shocked look which made the ex-Cerberus officer grin and walk to Abby.

"Dr. Gable?" she queried and held out her arm. "If I may escort you inside, you're leg must still be sore?"

Abby had to stop herself from chuckling. "Very Ms. Lawson, I would appreciate it if we could go and sit down." She slipped her arm into Miranda's and allowed the woman to escort her inside. They didn't look back to see if the two others followed. When they were inside, Abby dropped her voice and whispered to Miranda;

"What did you say?"

Miranda chuckled softly and shrugged. "I said that if she doesn't take her hand at least once tonight, I'm going back to Cerberus."

**The End of Chapter 22**


	23. Chapter 23

_**AN: Sorry for the delay, I've finally run into a writer's speed block. More to follow (story not blocks) shortly. Thank you for your patience. **_

**An Act.**

**There were some things that were universal it seemed.** Love, anger, fear of commitment, honesty, a chance to tell a lie... And music.

Abby sat with her eyes closed, letting Oriana's music wash over her as she admired the young woman's talent. With her body bend to the violin, she was managing to extract every single tone from her instrument and through that – every emotion from her audience. Abby could sense the pride from Oriana's adoptive parents as they watched her, the admiration and sadness from Miranda beside her as she watched her sister live the life she could never have. And, she could feel pain from Samara as she sat on her other side, her back straight, her eyes glued to Oriana as she played. Was she thinking of her own daughter? Abby wondered, opening her eyes to steal a glance at the Justicar. She looked different here, in this theatre, in the dark. It was as if her serenity was a little thinner, her emotions closer to the surface. Abby watched her take a deep, steadying breath and swallowed, her eyes moist.

_Asari cried_.

The thought made her warm up to the idea of the aliens. They frightened her, Samara and Asura most of all, as they were intense and so... distinctly not human. Yet, she could not deny that they shared so many similar characteristics to humans and... They cried. They understood pain and loss. She considered for a moment to reach out in the dark and touch the asari but she then saw her shift and turn her head towards Shepard.

To Abby's delight and surprise, the Commander had reached out and taken Samara's other hand. She didn't look at the alien, but kept her gaze fixed on the stage. Samara stared at the Commander's hand for a long time before she smiled sadly and put her other hand over it.

Smiling, Abby sat back and gave Miranda a poke in the side with her elbow, inclining her head towards the pair. The woman didn't look, probably because she didn't want to seem too obvious but she smiled and settled back, watching the last of her sister's performance. The moment seemed perfect.

Realizing that these opportunities were few and far between, Abby relaxed and closed her eyes again, thinking that if she wasn't safe amongst Shepard, Samara and Miranda then there was nothing that could save her. She wondered briefly if Asura was around, watching her as she apparently was doing but she didn't care.

She was here, in this moment with the music... And a dance.

_She watched the young asari girl as she spun around on one foot, her arms gracefully stretched out as she finally came to a stop. Her bright eyes were smiling as she looked at her, a little out of breath._

"_They call it ballet," she said. "Do you think that they took the word from ballot? Linking the dancing to a story? And song?" _

_Abby chucked and shrugged, slipping her hands into her pocket even though she knew her mother hated the habit. "I can't say," she said. "These humans don't make any sense to me... but then I've never met one." _

_Risha chuckled and on impulse did a handstand. "Mother says that Raile's gone for work," she pointed out. "But, I heard that she's gone to the Citadel for news. They say a human saved it or something... Have you ever been to the Citadel?" _

_She had but she hadn't liked it. There were too many people around, too many aliens living in each other's space with nowhere to go. The moment too many beings lived together, they brought out the worst in each other. _

"_I doubt one human could do anything," she said. "They're weak. They don't even live a hundred years." _

_Risha dropped to her feet and gave her a serious look, even a little uncertain. "Father won't live to see a hundred," she pointed out softly. "He's a turian." _

_She could sense the uncertainty in the young asari's voice and sighed, wishing suddenly that she could be as young and carefree as she was. "Your father's a turian," she pointed out. "They're tough as nails. There's a reason almost every security company in the galaxy hires them... And you're dad's the toughest of the lot. Mom chose him for a reason though he did make you ugly..." The asari let out a squeal and charged her, diving her to the ground. _

"_I'm not ugly!" _

She sat up startled as a hand grabbed hers and pull her up. She felt confused and disorientated after the memory, her head spinning when she realized with a jolt that Risha was Asura's sister. They didn't seem to share the same father but...

Not paying any attention to where she was going, she tripped over someone's leg and ended up almost crashing into Oriana's father's lap had it not been for Samara who grabbed her from behind. _What the hell was happening?_ Miranda was pulling her from one side and Samara pushing her from the other. Something was clearly amiss.

In the aisle, Miranda let go of her hand and started walking to the front of the stage, her back straight and determined as she made a bee-line for a figure.

Abby wasn't sure if she should follow but was quickly moved forward by Samara who took her arm without question and guided her down. Shepard had already moved past them and was walking beside Miranda, her face blank as they listened to what the person had to say.

"What..." Abby had to swallow, realizing that Oriana wasn't on the stage anymore but that quarian in a beautifully decorated suit had taken her place. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Samara asked, steadying her when she almost tripped.

Abby rubbed her brow and shrugged. "I... I think I fell asleep," she said, not sure if she wanted to share the memory as it was so mundane. "Miranda pulled me up and I don't know why."

Samara made a considering sound in the back of her throat. "They called for a doctor," she pointed out. "Apparently there has been an accident back stage. There didn't seem to be one in the house so Miranda volunteered and Shepard didn't want her to go on her own."

Abby blinked at the thought of Miranda volunteering but figured that if the woman could piece a body back together and bring back the dead then she could easily deal with a backstage accident. _Of course,_ Abby thought with a touch of bitter humour as they fell instep behind the two other women_, Miranda could deal with probably anything from a battle enraged Krogan to a broken nail... _

"Tell me again what happened?" Miranda was saying as they left the stage area and went into a confusing mess of corridors that made up the backstage of the theatre.

"One of the patrons found her in the bathroom, it seems that she had a seizure of some sort." the man with them was saying. He was an aging human in a formal suit, his tone level but concerned. "We've called for a medic but it's always good to have a doctor on site. We didn't move her... It's right down here."

They went through an open door and came out at one of the side corridors of the theatre. A small crowd had gathered around the female restroom, hanging around for spectator's sport but the theatre security was keeping them from going inside. At the sight of the man leading Shepard's party, they moved aside, allowing them access to the restroom.

Miranda moved forward immediately, kneeling beside a stern looking turian who was cradling an unconscious asari's head in his lap. Abby could tell immediately that she was in trouble as there was dark blue blood slowly streaming from her nose. She hardly seemed to be breathing and her eyes were open slightly.

"Who the hell are you?" the turian queried as Shepard and Abby came into the small cubicle with Samara the last to follow them. "This is no fucking show."

"I'm a doctor," Miranda said shortly. "What happened here?"

The turian growled under his breath as he turned back to the asari. "Boss came in for a tinkle, didn't come out. When I came to see if she's alright I found her like this." His eyes turned to Shepard and they narrowed immediately. She crossed her arms when he looked at her, her green eyes daring him to say something if he had recognized her. Although he was wearing a suit, Abby could see that he had a small silver Blue Sun's badge pinned to his jacket. She shuddered and tried to step in behind Shepard, keeping her head down when Samara pushed past her, moving the turian aside despite his protest. He looked as if he wanted to do something but Shepard fixed him with a stern look which made him settle back, glaring at both Samara and Miranda.

Miranda was checking the asari's pulse and her breathing, where as Samara turned her attention to the woman's head, first wiping away the blood from her nose and then gingerly opening her eyes to see what her pupil reaction was. She stood up then and went to Shepard as Miranda put the asari in the recovery position.

"I'll be back shortly," she said and without a word left the restroom. Shepard looked as if she wanted to follow her but hesitated when Miranda stood up too, motioning to the turian to sit beside the woman again before she turned to the theatre master who had called them.

"There's nothing I can do for her," she said. "You'll have to wait for the medics. She's breathing and her heart rate is relatively steady."

The man looked dismayed but nodded. "They've just arrived outside," he said. "Thank you for your assistance."

Miranda nodded tightly and left the room quickly, leaving Shepard and Abby to follow in her wake. They were well out of earshot of the crowd before the ex-Cerberus officer stopped.

"Where's Samara?" she snapped to which Shepard shrugged with a worried expression.

"She said she'd be back," she pointed out. "I..." She paused and frowned, putting a hand to her ear, making a 'shushing' motion when Miranda started talking. "Okay," she said into the earpiece and turned to her second in command. "We'll wait."

"Who's that?" Miranda asked, having figured out that Shepard was talking on her radio which she always kept with her. The Commander's face had gone stoic as she motioned behind them to an asari that was coming their way.

"Her," she said as Liara T'soni stopped in front of them, her face intense as she looked at Abby.

"We have to get her out of here," she said shortly and softly. "Now. We can't wait for your Justicar. I'll explain everything once we are at a more secure location."

When all eyes turned to her, Abby balked, raising her hands as she jerked involuntarily. "I haven't done anything," she said but Liara shook her head and started walking out of the theatre without a word. Miranda hesitated for a second, turning to Shepard.

"Are we going to the Normandy?" she queried. "Shepard, I have to go say good bye to my sister. I'll follow you."

Shepard nodded tightly and took Abby's wrist, pulling her towards Liara. "Go to the Normandy when you're done," she said. "Try and find Samara please, tell her what's happening. Abby, come on."

The vet had hesitated, not sure if she liked where this might potentially go. But she had no choice as Shepard rushed her forward until they were next to the information broker. Liara didn't look at her, but Abby got the sense that she was glad that Miranda had left. Shepard on the other hand looked like a brooding thunderstorm. Remembering the tension between the two of them earlier in the day Abby felt her heart sink in dismay knowing that she was most probably not going to like whatever's going to happen next.

* * *

><p><strong>Surprisingly, Liara took them – not to the Normandy, but to her apartment which was quite close to the theatre.<strong> Shepard could tell immediately that the asari was doing very well for herself as it was in a very rich part of town. The richest and most paranoid in Illium rubbed shoulders here and the security was visibly more uptight. Liara had cautioned them that they should act casual, like friends coming to visit. Everybody knew that Liara and Shepard had a history and it was perfectly acceptable for them to share a drink after a night out.

Abby didn't say a word throughout the trip, her delicate hands shaking in her lap. Liara had not been forth coming as to why they needed to move her out and the vet was undoubtedly expecting the worst.

At her apartment, Liara motioned them to remain where they were while she went to turn on the apartment lights and blind out the windows. Then, she went up some stairs to throw a cover over a glass display case.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" she said as she came down the stairs. "There is... not a lot, I have tea and some fruit juice. I don't normally entertain. Here." Surprisingly Liara sounded a little bit more like the young archaeologist Shepard knew from before. Maybe it was because they were in her home, in the only place she probably had privacy in the whole of Illium.

"I'm fine," Shepard said and left the space by the door so that she could explore Liara's apartment. It was... bare, open. The windows seemed to be the biggest decorative feature in the room, the view that she had caught a glimpse of was astounding, even for Illium. She saw a chair close to the one ledge and could imagine Liara sitting there in the morning, drinking her coffee as she stared out across the city that had stolen her soul.

It felt... Lonely.

She grimaced and turned back to see Abby studying a portrait by the door. She moved to the vet's side and felt her stomach turn as she recognized the buildings. Abby seemed puzzled as she turned to the Commander, questioning her silently.

"It's Ilos," Shepard said softly her hand involuntarily reaching out to caress the canvas before she pulled back. The vision of Saren's death came and went and she had to close her eyes against it. She wondered why Liara would keep such a reminder of that place where she could see it every day. To remind herself of the Reapers maybe? Or the fall of the Protheans? Saren?

She turned away from it and found Liara in the kitchen, boiling the kettle with her back turned towards them.

"Liara what's going on here?" she queried. "Is Abby in any danger?" She hesitated. "Are we?" she noticed that Abby remained by the portrait, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she watched the asari turn around.

"Finding a planet with twin peaks is quite difficult Shepard," Liara said without looking at them, her eyes focused on the cups that she was putting out. She had three, despite the fact that Shepard said no. "So, I focused on a better lead. This Fedora that you mentioned. I tracked down the circle in which she moved, then put my people on them to gather some intel. They are an alliance between Blue Suns and Eclipse. What's more – it looks as if there are ties that link them to the Shadow Broker. When I realized who they were it dawned on me that I had run into them before and that I had left a Trojan horse in their system." She turned to Abby who didn't say or do anything. "This afternoon I got a message saying that a batarian commander from the Blue Suns who was in Illium on business had fallen gravely ill. He's in hospital at the moment after being admitted this morning. Fit as a fiddle one moment – at death's door the next. They doubt he'll make it through the night." She sniffed and turned back to Shepard who had stepped in between her and the vet.

"What's wrong with him?" she queried, keeping her face neutral.

Liara's face was just as blank as she replied shortly. "Brain haemorrhage."

Shepard kept her face neutral, but it was Abby who gave them away as she shivered and stepped against the wall as if she needed it to brace herself. She had gone as pale as a sheet, though her eyes were blank steel as she stared straight ahead of her. Liara spared her a glance before she continued, turning her gaze down to the tray.

"He and the asari you saw at the theatre were quite close and deep in business together, Fedora and Jazek – her partner, reported to them. It was also they who send out a message a couple of days ago saying that if the Normandy is to board anywhere then they must be notified immediately." She looked back to Abby. "They also circulated a description of you and put a price on your head. To be apprehended alive. Tell me Abby, are you working for the Shadow Broker?"

The vet blinked surprised and turned to Shepard for support. "I... Who?" she queried.

Liara's mouth thinned as she turned to Shepard who gave her a puzzled look. "Liara, she's just a vet ," the Commander came up for Abby. "Really, I can vouch for her."

The asari turned to her old friend with a scowl. "You're not seeing the bigger picture Jane," she said sharply. "This woman does not exist, we've both established that. There's no record of her, none. The only person who holds such power is the Shadow Broker. He or she is the only one who can erase someone so completely, so totally that they appear to have just arrived out of thin air. You cannot just accept what she says to be the truth."

Shepard sighed and glanced at Abby who looked very worried as she shook her head. "I don't work for the Shadow Broker," she said before Jane could say anything. "I really don't. Commander, I've told you all I can, I've told you. Please... Just accept my words for the truth. I'm just a vet." She sounded tired and dismayed, as if she might be forced to say the same words again. _I don't know what happened to me._

"I believe you Abby," Jane said softly and turned to glare at Liara. "She doesn't work for the Shadow Broker. Now what's this about there being a price on her head?"

Liara gave Shepard an icy glare and sniffed sharply, abandoning her tea making efforts. The Liara that Shepard knew seemed to melt away before her eyes and instead she found herself face to face with the information broker she had come to despise.

"Here," she said as she smoothly walked to Shepard, handing her a datapad. "These are the messages that I've intercepted. I knew that you were going to the theatre and – as I knew that this asari, Tabith El'Meara would be there – I decided to go as well. Her people were crawling over that place which didn't save her from whatever struck her down. You were lucky that that distracted them, otherwise they would've surely intercepted you."

Shepard nodded tightly as she scanned over the messages. "We have to get back to the Normandy," she said. "Clearly it's dangerous for us to be here. Can you call us a cab Liara?"

The asari's mouth thinned as she shook her head. "I've already notified Joker," she said shortly. "He will come for you in the shuttle. Don't trust anybody in Illium Jane, not even a cab driver."

Jane hesitated then glanced up, meeting Liara's gaze. "And you?" she said, thinking about the information that Liara held and its worth on the market. Would she use Abby to try and get at these other mercenaries? Use her to get at the Shadow Broker as she had used Shepard to get at Nyxeris?

Liara snorted and shook her head, moving away from them and up to her bedroom when there was a knock on the door. She glanced at her omni-tool to see how it was.

"I'm not the one you should be worried about," she said simply. "It's Kasumi and Garrus. I suggest you take her as far away from Illium as you can Shepard. I'll keep you updated – if you want me to."

Shepard blinked at her cold tone and took a step forward towards her one time crew member. "I don't want your information Liara," she snapped. "I want your support and your friendship."

Liara snorted and shook her head as she opened the door. "I can only support you through information Shepard," she said and turned around without greeting Garrus. "Don't ask me for friendship, it's the one thing I cannot give you. Not anymore."

**The End of Chapter 23**


	24. Chapter 24

_**AN: Thank you again and still for all the reviews that I'm receiving. They are such a pleasure and inspiration. If you have a specific question please feel free to ask. If I won't answer it in the fic, then I'll do so personally. **_

**In Conversation **

**On the Normandy, the returning crew split up and went their distinctive ways.** Kasumi and Abby went down to their level and Shepard and Garrus went up to her room. Shepard wanted to go up alone but for some reason Garrus stuck to her, his presence unwavering as he towered above her. Her father had hated turians, but then his family had been in the First Contact War. She had had her doubts about Garrus in the beginning but she soon found him to be a worthy companion and a good friend. She had a feeling that she knew what he wanted to talk to her about but she wasn't up discussing anything.

"Look Garrus," she said when he stepped out of the elevator with her. "I don't need you to follow me into my room, I want to get out of this dress and shoes. It's been a long night."

The turian nodded, but made no motion to go back into the elevator. "I know," he said. "I'm quite willing to help you with that Shepard."

Jane blinked at him shocked and found herself starting to stammer a protest when she saw an amused glint in his eyes. She snorted and punched him on the shoulder, relieved that he wasn't hitting on her but embarrassed by the visions that had briefly crossed her thoughts. _How did turians do it?_

"Don't joke," she said. "I have enough demands as it is. You're my best friend Garrus."

The turian smiled slightly and rubbed his head. "And you mine," he said. "You're all I have Shepard, I won't do anything to mess that up. Friendship and love are very precious in the times that we are facing."

Shepard snorted, her thoughts immediately turning to Liara. "For some," she said bitterly then realized suddenly that Garrus had bated her when his face softened in understanding. She sniffed and turned to her room, not sure what she was running from exactly. He followed her without asking permission and she didn't know how to get him to leave without showing more emotion than she had done already. She kicked her shoes off at the door and went to her desk, pretending to check her terminal for messages. There were only a few – in the days after she had destroyed the collector base there had been hundreds, thousands of letters of people who had heard what she had done. They wanted to know if she had found their loved ones, if she had saved them.

She had taken care to reply to every single one of them or as many as she could, to give her condolences and her bad news. She had only saved her crew. She wished that she had saved more, but she hadn't and that would always haunt her. She suspected that Kelly now filtered them out, or replied to them herself.

"All of us were at your funeral you know?" Garrus said suddenly, making her blink and turn around. She had forgotten that he was there. "It was held on the Citadel as you were being honoured for being a Spectre and an Alliance officer. You'd have thought that we would support each other, but we didn't. Wrex left for Tuchanka soon after, I left C-sec and Tali went back to the Flotilla. We all had places to go. Things to do." He sighed and a look of regret passed over his scarred features. "Liara didn't."

Jane frowned and just managed to refrain from pinching the bridge of her nose. She saw herself telling Garrus that she had more important things to worry about than the bitter asari but she couldn't make herself say it. "We know what she did with her time Garrus," she said tiredly. "She was recruited by Cerberus to collect my body from the Collectors."

"Yes," Garrus said but he looked at Shepard as if she had missed the point. "But, would they have approached her if she had not been alone? Would she have gone down this path if she had something else to do?"

Jane shifted uncomfortable and shrugged. "I don't know Garrus," she said. "I don't understand where you're going with this."

Garrus sighed raised a hand in surrender. "I'm saying that I abandoned her Shepard. We all did. If you want to blame her for the way she's acting, then please – spread some of it to us. To me. She was a kid who had just lost... everything she cared for. And I abandoned her."

She blinked surprised, not quite believing what she was hearing. Then, she shook her head quickly and took a step to her friend. "I... I don't... Garrus. I don't blame her or you... Really." _Really?_ "It's just hard to accept... her. To see her like this. I'm trying to understand, to see her side but... She's so consumed..."

Garrus smiled at her slightly and shook his head. "She loved you Shepard," he said. "You slipped into her life just as deeply as you slipped into mine and I think part of her bravado is aimed at keeping you _out. _She might not have the heart to lose you again if things go wrong. I know I won't, which is why I'm never going to leave your side again." He paused and grinned sheepishly. "In a non romantic sense of course." He winked. "You're in high enough demand as it is already."

Shepard snorted, but felt a wave of warmth for the turian. "What did you come here to say Garrus?" she said with a small smile. "What happened to your mites?"

He winked at her and shrugged. "I came to say that... No matter how much of a bitch Liara's being... Don't abandon her. Just... Give her one more chance, I could see that you were ready to walk out on her." He paused. "And... the mites got zapped."

"Zapped?" Shepard queried surprised, studying the way Garrus once again reached up and rubbed his head.

"Yes," he said – sounding a bit exasperated. "The salamander programmed a combat drone to literally sear the mites off of our bodies. It was uncomfortable and sometimes painful but ultimately effective. It helps to have a mad scientist on board yes?"

Shepard laughed at the image. "Yes," she said. "Thanks Garrus. I'll consider what you've said. Would you... care to help me with my dress?"

The turian laughed and held up his hands. "No," he said simply. "You're on your own there Commander. You look nice by the way." He left the room before she could comment, chuckling as he did so and leaving her to stare in his wake.

"Gee Garrus," she said irritated and rolled her eyes. "Thanks." But, she had heard what he said and for a moment that softened her heart towards the information broker. Even though she had had no control over it, she had abandoned Liara too when she died. And, as Miranda had told her, it had made an impact on all of her crew members.

_I'll try again,_ she thought as she reached behind her to try and unzip her dress. _I'll try._

* * *

><p><strong>Meeting Garrus at the elevator just as she got out of it, Samara nodded at the turian before she went to Shepard's door. <strong>She was surprised to find that it was open and stepped right in to find the Commander standing with her back turned towards her. She blinked and hesitated, watching as the woman struggled to undo her dress.

"Garrus, if that's you reconsidering to help a friend in need I could sure use your help," she said. "Really – it's like peeling a prawn."

Samara hesitated, unsure whether or not to reveal her presence. As if she sensed it, Jane turned around, her eyes amused until they rested on the asari. She blinked startled and stared at her.

"The door was open," Samara defended herself quickly, then wondered why she felt as if she was doing something _wrong_. "My apologies Commander, I'll come back later." She made to turn around but sensed, rather than heard Jane's protest.

"No..." The woman said quickly. "Ah... No Samara, please. You don't have to go. I ah... Need your help. Kasumi did me up earlier – as she did the previous time. And... I can't get out of this damned dress by myself. Though... If you're busy..."

Samara hesitated though quickly schooled her face to calm. "I am not," she said. "I came to see you Shepard. You may... Turn around. I'll undo your dress."

She wasn't sure if she imagined it but Jane let out a slow breath and turned around again, keeping her gaze turned towards her empty fish tank. "Thank you Samara," she said softly. "Tell me, where did you go in the theatre? You just left us." Her tone was curious rather than accusing.

Samara stared at Shepard's back and swallowed, her mouth dry suddenly. _Stop acting like a maiden._ "I... presume that you figured out that she was killed by an Ardat Yakshi?" She had to take a step closer, but before she did so she found her eyes travelling to the Commander's bare shoulders and to the faint brush of freckles that stood out on her pale skin. She wasn't a big woman, but she was well toned and in excellent shape. She did not have Miranda's perfection, but her natural beauty made her stand out, perhaps more so than the Cerberus Officer.

"I did," Jane said carefully without turning around. "Liara told me that there was another... Incident earlier in the day. So... You went to see if she was still around?"

Samara swallowed again, trying to work some moisture back into her mouth. "Yes," she said simply. "There was no sign of the asari that Abigail had described earlier but then – her description had been very vague. I went to determine whether anybody had seen an asari acting suspicious." She was behind the Commander now and had reached up to undo the top clip which had been hindering Shepard from undoing her dress. "There was nothing of note in the theatre and I came straight here when Miranda found me." Her fingers brushed Jane's neck, making the woman shiver.

"Sorry," Shepard murmured. "I'm... ticklish."

Samara closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing, hoping that she didn't alert the woman to her apprehension. "Don't worry," she said and tried to undo the clip as quickly as possible. She struggled and soon realized that it had gotten caught in some of Shepard's hair. She carefully threaded it out of the clip and then pulled it down. She meant to stop by Shepard's shoulders, but found her hands guiding the clip lower and lower until it stopped by her hips, exposing the Commander's pale, naked, back.

_Oh... Goddess..._

The world seemed to have come to a grinding halt as neither she nor Shepard moved. Pulled by the same force that had made her undo Shepard's whole dress, Samara found herself carefully resting her hands on the woman's hips, thinking that it would be so easy for her to just slip her dress _off._

_Goddess, help me..._

It was Shepard who breathed first, a shaky hindered breath that made Samara take one of her own. She made to step away but the woman put her hands on Samara's entwining her fingers with hers.

"Don't..." Jane managed, her voice breathless. "Don't... leave." She stepped back into Samara's arms, carefully pulling her arms around her in an embrace. Samara didn't fight her even though she knew that she should.

"Shepard," she breathed. "Shepard... Jane... I... Can't. We can't..." She wanted to pull away but couldn't find the strength, her chest pressed tightly against Shepard's open back. She tried to find a reason within her Code to leave, but she couldn't. There was nothing just or unjust about intimacy. About love...

"Just..." Jane breathed, closing her eyes as she rested her head against Samara's. "Just... tonight? Can we just be... ourselves? Tonight? Now?"

It was the motivation that she needed to pull away, the words that she could use to give her strength. Justification.

"I am what I am Shepard," she said and closed her eyes, wishing that she didn't feel as if she was about to start crying. "That does not change in any moment. This can never be Shepard." Even though it felt as if she was tearing away a part of her soul, she stepped away from the woman who immediately turned around to look at her, her green eyes bright with emotion.

"Samara," she breathed. "Please. I... need you. This. Can't we just... For tonight just be ourselves. Just ignore what we are. Just one moment, what could it hurt?"

The Justicar smiled sadly and shook her head, closing her eyes to the woman and turning around so that she could head back out the door. "It could destroy us Jane," she said simply and walked away.

"Samara," Jane called after her, her voice surprisingly vulnerable and tight, her tears just as close as Samara's were. "Samara please..."

She did not turn around to look at her but went into the elevator and the closed the door behind her. She remained there for a long time until she managed to gather the strength to push the button for the crew's quarters.

* * *

><p>"<strong>Kasumi, it's backfired. Completely." <strong>

Abby looked up from where she had been preparing her bed to see Yeoman Chambers standing in their door. Kasumi blinked at the other woman for a few seconds then moved forward quickly, a gasp of horror on her lips.

"No!" she exclaimed. "How?"

Kelly looked absolutely dismayed as she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, her hand making erratic motions as she pointed to the ceiling. "They are so _intense._ It was so close Kasumi. This close. They were in each other's arms and..."

Abby frowned and straighten up, interrupting Kasumi who was about to comment. "Ah, excuse me," she said in her best clinical tone. "What's happening here? Who are you referring to?"

Kasumi, who was wearing her hood, turned a dismayed look to the vet. "I rigged Shepard's dress so that she would need help getting _out_ of it. Then, Kelly and I had devised a plan to get _Samara_ up there to help her – which wasn't needed because Samara went there on her own accord. It was... They were... It was supposed to be perfect! They were supposed to get it on! Or off!"

"Only," Kelly continued where the thief left off. "They didn't do it. They didn't do anything. Samara practically had Shepard out of her dress and she turned her back on her. I can't believe it! She was so phased out when she stormed out of Shepard's room she didn't even see me beside the door!"

Abby blinked and shook her head. "What were you doing by the door, Peeping Tom?"

Kelly and Kasumi shared a look and shrugged together. "She had some messages to deliver to Shepard," Kasumi said innocently. "I figured that if Shep's door was _engaged_ that we had gotten somewhere. Can you believe that they are so stubborn?"

Abby stared at the two, not quite believing what she was hearing. Putting the Commander and Samara in a theatre together was one thing but this... She remembered a line from the game, remembered her own failed attempt to romance the two (though admittedly she had done it merely to see where the dialogue would go...)

_I have the strengths to withstand my own drives Shepard. I serve a Code stronger than any feelings._

Surprisingly, Abby suddenly found herself angry with the two women. "That's not right you two," she said. "Or fare. Theirs is not a typical relationship. They... They have so much riding on their shoulders. You can't just put them in a room together after events like today and expect them to ignore all of it and '_get it on'." _She used air quotes, thinking that the ME universe was the only place she could still pull it off. "Damn it you two, sometimes... sometimes relationships are like a delayed birth. You have to stop... stop fussing and just stand back and let nature takes its course. Sometimes, things can happen on their own without you needing to stick your hand into it."

Kasumi blinked at her. "Are you talking about a relationship or a sheep?" she queried then quickly held up her hand when Abby glared at her. "Just asking."

There was an awkward silence in the room as the three women stared at each other. Finally, Abby snorted and shook her head, turning her back to them as she finished making her bed and slipped in underneath the covers. The other two stared at her and then at each other. Kelly grimaced and sighed, turning a miserable look to Kasumi.

"I thought it would work," she said softly. "Good night Kasumi, I guess we should get some sleep." She hesitated and then looked at the bundle on the couch. "Good night Abby."

Abby sighed and rolled her eyes, angry with them as her mind turned over the consequences of this failed match making attempt. None the less she schooled her tone to what passed as exasperation. "Good night you two. Sleep well."

Kelly left and Kasumi, probably thinking that she was forgiven, came round Abby's bed so that she could give her a sheepish grin. "You can't blame me for trying," she said. "You've seen the electricity between them. If it doesn't go anywhere it might just blow up the ship."

Abby sighed and shook her head at Kasumi though she found herself smiling as she shook her head and took the woman's hand to give it a squeeze. "It's not always that easy Kasumi," she said softly. "They are not just the type who's going to fall into bed together and fix each other's wrongs. It would be nice if the world worked that way, but it doesn't. Not for them."

Kasumi shrugged but nodded finally. "Still didn't keep me from trying," she said. "Good night you." To Abby's surprise the thief kissed her own fingers and placed her hand against Abby's cheek. It wasn't the touch of a lover, but of a close friend. It... felt good. When the lights turned off she found herself thinking first about the thief and then about the strange situation in which she found herself. Her mind indivertibly turned to Asura but she quickly pushed all thoughts of the asari away.

Which only left her to think of Shepard and Samara.

She lay in the dark for a long time, first willing her thoughts to go quiet and then finally giving up, realizing that she was not going to be able to sleep with her mind as it was. She got up slowly and, glancing in Kasumi's direction, softly left the room.

* * *

><p><strong>She crossed the walkway carefully and stood outside the closed door, the red lock looking angry and ominous.<strong> Abby traced its lines before she looked up to the ceiling.

"EDI?" she queried softly, reminded of her first trip to this room.

"Yes Dr. Gable," the AI said immediately. "I am still here."

Abby smiled slightly and nodded, dropping her gaze back to the door. "I know," she said softly. "Can you do me a favour and open the door please?"

"It's locked for a reason Dr. Gable."

_I'm arguing with a machine..._ Abby thought with a small smile and nodded. "I can see that," she said softly. "And I know why. Please, may you unlock it for me? I want to speak to Shepard."

"Why?" The AI seemed genuinely curious.

"To try and right a wrong," Abby said slowly. "Just... girl talk. You can listen in, you might learn something." She wasn't sure where EDI's camera was but she smiled regardless, hoping that the AI understood the human gesture and why she needed to talk to Shepard. To her surprise, the lock on the door turned green as EDI said nonchalantly.

"I'm always listening regardless."

Abby snorted and with a steadying breath, pushed the lock allowing the doors to slide open. As she expected the Commander's lights were still on and she was slumped over her desk terminal, dressed in casual slacks and a glass of what appeared to be clean scotch in her hand. She turned around when Abby stepped in, her gaze immediately turning to a frown. The vet could pick out the rawness in Jane's eyes

"I know I locked that door," she pointed out – her voice tough.

Abby nodded slowly and made sure to lock her knees and find her balance before she continued. "I know," she said simply. "I asked EDI to open it."

The Commander frowned again and this time a glint of anger snuck in behind her eyes. "It's locked for a reason EDI," she snapped. "It is late and I have work to do. We will talk in the morning Abby – don't worry, we will be going to Tetra, good night."

She turned her back on the vet but Abby remained where she was, taking a steadying breath. She had rehearsed her speech all the way up but found that nothing had prepared her for actually standing in front of Jane Shepard. This woman was hardly the Commander that had boarded the Normandy. She was wounded, lonely and perhaps slightly drunk. It was hard to tell behind her iron self control.

"This is not about Tetra," she said quickly and took another breath, wondering why she was already feeling as if she had run a mile. "I... I know what happened tonight."

Jane looked wounded but she quickly steeled herself and turned her back on the vet. "It's a small ship, news travel." She said. "What you should learn is not everything is your business. Good night Abby."

Still, the vet remained where she was, though she could feel her courage slipping under the woman's blunt tone. "I broke up with my partner a couple of months ago," she said quickly before she lost her nerve. "It was my decision. I realized that a life with me was not a life, that a commitment to me would be a sentence rather than a relationship. It was a hard decision but... but my reasoning was sound." Shepard turned to look at her, her face puzzled as she tried to figure out why Abby was telling her all of this. The vet continued quickly, her voice becoming more steady when she realized the Commander wasn't going to pull a gun on her or throw her out of the airlock immediately.

"My partner wanted children, but because of the Huntington's Disease our kids would have a 50% chance of having it. Another sentence associated with my relationship. My partner wanted to grow old with me, retire to Spain, travel the world..." She chocked without warning, despite the fact that she had made peace with her decision a long time ago. "The thing was that I could not be that person, I could not be... I just couldn't. So... So I ended it. And there was protest, and anger and denial... But eventually my partner gave up and moved on." She swallowed but managed to keep herself from crying. Shepard on the other hand had a look of dismay on her face as she closed her eyes and shook her head.

"What are you trying to say Abby?" she said. "I don't understand."

Abby smiled and spread her hands in surrender. "It was too easy," she said softly. "A part of me felt that the break had been too easy and, although I had initiated it, although I had been the one to pull the plug, I couldn't help but wish that my partner had fought a little harder for me. Had tried a little bit harder to reach me." She shrugged and sighed. "I left the relationship feeling as if my breakup had just come at a convenient time. That – as I was – I wasn't worth fighting for."

To her surprise, the Commander blinked tears and quickly turned away from her. Abby hesitated before she quickly slipped into Shepards private bathroom to get her a tissue. She went to the woman and handed it to her before she stepped away.

"I guess what I'm telling you Commander," she said softly. "Is... to maybe just fight for Samara a little bit more. To not let this get you down. Like my Huntington's Disease was my excuse, she used her Code in the same way. It's not really justified, but she doesn't see it that way now. Maybe, in time or with the right motivation she'll see the light. I think she wants to... She's just not ready yet."

She stepped away from Jane and meant to turn to go to the door but to her surprise the woman shifted and reached out to take her hand. "Wait," she said. "Stay Abby. Please."

Abby turned to find that Shepard was still crying but when she looked at the Commander she turned her gaze away and wiped at her tears, blowing her nose when she was done.

"Just stay here," she said softly. "We can talk... like two people. Let's... have a conversation. That doesn't involve asari, or Ardat Yakshi or Reapers or Justicars or diseases... Just...Like... Like two women who met in a bar and who want to forget about their lives. Please." She turned her gaze back to Abby. "I don't think either of us is going to get any sleep tonight."

Abby hesitated, realizing how dangerous it was to get too close to the Commander in her current situation but then she nodded, also realizing that she had taken the first step, that she had, proverbially speaking, started to interfere with a birth and that she needed to see it through.

"I'd like that Co... Jane," she said slowly as the woman stood up and motioned her to her living area. "Just a conversation. Between two women. Two normal women." She smiled, thinking that she hadn't had one of those in years. "I would like that."

**The End of Chapter 24**


	25. Chapter 25

_**AN: A big thanks to she-who-does-not-wish-to-be-named for helping me with this chapter. It took me ages to get it right and I'm still not happy with it but it's been ironed out and smoothed over in such a way that I can move the story forward from here. Thank you again oh mighty one. **_

**Transition. **

**She was running across a desert landscape, her breathing tight but focused, her rhythm unwavering.** Stars shone above her, some as big as her fist. Not a sound stirred the landscape and not breath of wind touched her face. She was alone and content to be so, running she hardly felt aware of herself, of her life or of her limitations. She was just… Herself.

"Woah there Tiger," someone said suddenly and the landscape flickered, making her loose her focus. Abby stumbled but quickly corrected herself and turned to see Kelly Chambers standing beside her, her smile twisted in amusement as the desert disappeared.

"I thought Dr. Chakwas said that you should walk, not run like hell."

Breathing deeply to get her breath back, Abby shrugged embarrassed and carefully stepped out of the circle. There was a gym of sorts in the cargo hold of the Normandy. A treadmill that could project a holographic image around you of a landscape of your choice, some weights and an old fashioned punching bag. It helped keep the crew, which was normally ship bound, fit and ready for duty. There was nobody there now, save for Kelly who handed her a towel.

"Sorry," Abby said embarrassed. "I ah… wanted to see if I still could. How fit I am..." _In case I need to run again…_ "That sort of thing. Before this I... still ran. A lot." She grimaced. "I'm not as fit as I used to be."

Kelly raised an eyebrow and smiled, sitting down on a nearby crate so that she could study the vet. "I'd say you're doing pretty well," she said and smirked. "Much better than yesterday."

Abby groaned and buried her face in the towel to hide her embarrassment. The day before had not been her finest moment on the Normandy.

It hadn't been one of her finest moments, period.

She had woken up in Shepard's room, sprawled across her bed and very disorientated. She could not imagine what she was doing there until she saw the Commander sleeping on her couch. There were two empty glasses on the table, a bowl which had held tasteless snacks and a distinctly empty whiskey bottle.

When she tried to sit up, she was enlightened as to why the bottle was empty and spent several minutes trying to get her stomach under control with a throbbing headache. She had no idea what had gotten into her the night before. Since her co-ordination became too impaired she had stopped drinking and even before that she hardly allowed herself to become tipsy much less drunk.

Her only consolation had been that the Commander had been just as jovial with her. True to their agreement, they didn't discuss anything about asari, or Ardat Yakshi or even Reapers. They had talked about their family lives, about their childhood which they had both spend travelling from one place to the other (though Jane's had been through space and Abby's had been through the welsh countryside…). They had shared stories of their youth, of their first crushes and their first heartache.

Abby had even told her of the 'Mastiff Incident' which was quite frankly embarrassing.

Thinking about it, she had gained a lot of respect for the woman, despite the fact that they were both fairly silly during all of this. Jane could've asked her _anything_ during their chat and she would've been too incapacitated to guard what she said. Yet, she didn't – staying within the rules that they had laid down from the beginning.

It had been rejuvenating, but it had come at a price that Abby paid a lot harder than the Commander.

"It's unfair drinking with the Commander," Kelly commented with a smile as Abby sat down to have some water.  
>"Her body metabolises toxins a lot quicker than normal ever since she's been… awakened. Us mere mortals can't keep up."<p>

Abby chuckled and nodded, thinking that she had never felt as bad as she had the day before. She had managed to get herself back to the Port Observation Room but had spend the rest of the day curled up on her couch, wondering if the ship's artificial gravity had malfunctioned.

"This mere mortal is never drinking again," Abby said. "I still have a headache." She wanted to stand up but Kelly offered her a hand first. She accepted it happily and allowed the woman to pull her up. The yeoman was chuckling as they started moving out of the cargo hold. "I thought Kasumi gave you something for that."

Snorting, Abby frowned when she saw someone coming through the elevator to join them. "It's seeped into memory," she said and stopped, not sure how to proceed. Kelly had no such hesitations as she smiled genuinely and nodded at the newcomer.

"Hi Garrus," she said. "Come to do a few rounds?"

The turian smiled, or what counted as a smile for turians. "Morning Kelly," he said warmly before his gaze turned to Abby. She got the distinct impression that he had not forgiven her for the mites yet. Or rather, the remark about the collar… "Dr. Gable, I must ask that you don't leave yet, I would like to discuss a few things with you."

For a split second, Abby considered telling him that follow up consultations were half price but by the way he was looking at her gave her the impression that she shouldn't try her luck. "Of course," she said cautiously. "Is there... anything that I can help you with?"

Kelly raised an eyebrow and left before Garrus replied. The turian shifted his weight as he followed Kelly's form out of the room. Then, he turned to her – his reptilian like eyes sharp. "Shepard told me to evaluate your weapon's efficiency," he said blankly. "You will be accompanying them down to the ground when you go to explore this Tetra planet."

Abby went cold when she remembered her attempt to free herself from Fedora's crew, when she had grabbed the woman's gun without really knowing how to fire it. It felt as if it was a life time ago. It dawned on her suddenly that she had been here, in this world, for an earth week. The though made her mouth go dry as the enormity of her predicament dawned on her. What was she going to do if they just decided to leave her? Was this really happening? All of this?

"Dr. Gable?"

She blinked and took a quick breath, avoiding looking at Garrus. "I'm sorry," she said carefully. "I missed the last part."

The turian snorted. "You don't miss the nearly microscopic mites that roam around my person, yet you fail to hear what I say when standing right in front of you?" When she didn't answer, he sighed and shook his head – settling back a bit. "Dr. Gable, I get the feeling that we got off on the wrong foot."

Abby blinked surprised, wondering where that came from. She searched for a reply but when she didn't know how to respond she shrugged and gave him a sceptical look, waiting for him to finish. The turian seemed to have been waiting for a reply from her but when she didn't speak he sighed and shook his head.

"Look, I'm grateful for what you did," he said. "It's wonderful not feeling as if I want to tear my own skin off. I'm sorry if I was irritable when you and Shepard were there. It was just vexing to have the Commander laugh at me like that. And your comments weren't helping."

Here Abby had to smile as she shrugged. "I wasn't going to put a collar on you," she said. "I promise."

Garrus perked up and motioned her to move to another section of the cargo hold. "Good," he said. "And I promise not to put a bullet in you if I can't help it." She missed a step immediately but he laughed and patted her roughly on the back. "Just kidding Dr. Gable, just kidding..."

* * *

><p>"<strong>I want to get off at Omega, if that is appropriate. I believe that we'll be entering their system later today." <strong>

Hunching over Joker as she looked at some of the continuous data that they were receiving from the Reaper IFF Jane froze, her mouth running dry as she tried to process Samara's words. She straightened up and turned around slowly as she fought against a sense of vertigo, wondering if this was what it felt like to have your world fall apart without the help of a Collector's particle beam...

"Why?" Her voice was steady, but it felt as if the bridge had become a void.

Samara's face was impassive as she stared at her without blinking. "I have been informed that there were several similar deaths to those in Illium in the past week. I believe that this Ardat Yakshi had time to travel from Banrio, to Omega and then to Illium. There might be someone there who can help us put a face to this woman. Abby has not been very forth coming on her features."

She breathed and was painfully aware of her heart beating as her mind latched onto the word 'us'. Samara still saw herself as a part of the crew or at least a part of this venture... Realizing that she had to reply, Jane breathed in carefully.

"We might be able to do that on Tetra," she said slowly, keeping her voice level. "I would've thought that you would like to go there."

Samara blinked for the first time since Shepard had turned around to look at her. "A Justicar is not always welcome in a rogue asari community," she said. "Remember, we represent justice and are compelled to deliver. Better that they don't know I'm involved – if there is somebody there."

Jane nodded slowly but her gaze remained fixed on Samara. She remembered the way it felt when Samara touched her hips, the electricity that flowed from her fingers where she accidentally brushed her neck. The feeling of her arms wrapped around her.

_Fight for her,_ had essentially been what Abby had told her. _If you don't fight for her, you're going to lose her._

"I'll consider it," Jane said carefully. "Of course – in the event that we make the detour - I expect a full report when we come to collect you again."

The temperature dropped several degrees. Behind her, Joker seemed to have frozen, his eyes fixed to the console. He wasn't ignorant when it came to emotions and could judge a situation very quickly for all his immature comments. She had no doubt that he could sense the tension between the two of them.

"A full report?" Samara queried, her voice betraying a hint of surprise.

Feeling a little bit more confident Jane nodded and started to turn back to Joker. "Yes," she said simply. "As I've told you Samara, you are still a member of this crew and until such time you leave, I will take responsibility for you and your actions. In return, I expect a report on them." Shepard hoped that she made it clear enough to the Justicar that she will not release her of her oath when she left for Omega and that she will hold her to it until she returned to the Normandy.

Samara seemed genuinely shocked as her eyes searched Jane's face. If they were alone, she was sure that the asari would've said something in protest. But, they were on the bridge of Jane's ship – in front of members of her crew. If she crossed her here she would not only undermine the Commander's authority but she would bring her own oath under question.

So, she seemed to gather herself and incline her head ever so slightly. "Of course Commander," she said and turned to leave, breaking eye contact. There, she paused and turned back to Shepard.

"Would you like the report in writing?"

Jane blinked, but didn't miss a beat. "A meeting will be fine," she said and nodded at Samara. "Thank you." She turned back to Joker, not bothering to look at Samara as she left without a word. It was only when they were sure that the asari was gone that Joker let out a short breath and turned to look at her, his blue eyes studying her features intently.

"That was... harsh," he said. "From both of you. What's up Commander? You've never asked for reports. That's more... Miranda's forte."

Jane didn't answer, but took a moment to close her eyes and try to regain her composure. She had known that Samara would lash out to her in some way or another but experiencing it still hurt. Yet, when she took a calming breath, she felt better. No matter how she had achieved it, she felt as if she had taken back a little bit of the power that Samara had taken from her two days before when she rejected her. She could sense that Samara wanted to run, to disappear in Omega and not come back to the Normandy and to distance herself from the Ardat Yakshi situation now that her daughters weren't involved.

Well, it might've been a childish attitude from her side but she wasn't going to let the woman get away this easily. There was a lot of things that they still had to say to each other and Jane was going to make sure that they get round to it before they went their separate ways...

* * *

><p><strong>When the dummy clip dropped again, Abby found herself closing her eyes so that she could gather herself and avoid seeing the anticipated frustration in Garrus's gaze.<strong> He had been drilling her for the past hour and a half, first testing her ability to handle a gun and then refining the areas which he found lacking. She could shoot, having grown up hunting rabbits with her brother. That had taught her to have a quick eye and steady hand but in recent years, she hardly touched a gun. When her hands were steady, she shot well but they soon realized she only had one or two shots that could truly count for something. When it came to changing the thermal clips though, she fell off of the wagon completely. She lacked the coordination to slip it in at the speed which Garrus insisted on. They practiced it over and over and over again but to no avail.

Her hands were simply too stupid.

When she opened her eyes she found that Garrus had picked up the clip and was holding it out to her. He kept insisting that eventually, she'll get it right. That the repetitive motion would become a part of her, that it _had_ to become a part of her.

"_Whether you stay here or on your own,"_ Garrus had told her when it became clear that it was not going to be a quick exercise_. "The galaxy is going to become a very unstable place. Shooting is a skill that you must pick up like breathing." _

His words had depressed her and killed what little focus she had left. Again her mind turned to the fact that she had already been here for a week. She had no idea what waited for her in the week to follow as she had no plan of action. She didn't know what she was going to do if Shepard decided to leave her on the next planet – she didn't even have a credit to her name. Looking at Garrus as she took the clip from him, she sighed and slowly slipped the dummy clip into the gun to remind herself how it should be done. Her fingers trembled and the clip almost dropped from her hands again.

"When you're ready," she said simply, knowing that he was going to time her. A part of her knew that she could ask that they stop, that doing this over and over again was futile without success... But, she couldn't make herself admit that she was quitting.

Garrus looked surprised when she was ready to try again and hesitated, his reptilian eyes studying her. "I believe it was your Einstein who said that the definition of madness is when you do the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result."

Abby hesitated and chuckled, letting the gun drop to her side. "I believe that he was also the man who said that he wasn't smart but that he just stayed with his problems for longer. One more try?"

The turian shook his head and looked at his omni-tool. "Why don't you keep the gun?" he queried. "It's a dummy, so you won't be able to shoot anybody with it. Practice in your own time, then we can pick up where we left off when there's time again."

Abby hesitated then carefully gave the gun back to Garrus. "I think it's been established that I won't be the best person carrying one of these out in the field," she said. "I'm sorry I've wasted your time Garrus, you can tell Shepard that I'm deplorable. I think that would be safer."

The turian chuckled and shrugged. "No argument there," he said but pushed the gun back towards her. "Practice Dr. Gable. Are we going up together?"

She paused before she shook her head, looking at the gun. "I think I'll stay here for a moment longer," she said. "But, thank you for your time Garrus."

He nodded and left the cargo hold. Abby stared after him then looked at the gun as it trembled in her unsteady hand. There was a faint hum around her from the engines but, when the elevator left, the room suddenly felt very empty – the hum disappearing into silence as she realized that it was the first time she was alone on the Normandy. There was nobody around, not Kasumi, not Kelly or Samara or Shepard. She was on her own.

Without thinking, she lifted the gun to her temple and pressed it there, closing her eyes. She stood there for several heart beats then let out a quick breath and straightened, dropping the dummy gun to her side as she shook her head to dispel the sensation that it had left against it. She gathered up her things and turned around to go to the elevator only to realize that someone had been watching her. When she lifted her head to the windows that looked out over the cargo hold from Engineering, she saw Jack standing there, her arms crossed as her sharp eyes studied her. Abby met her gaze defiantly, wondering what the young woman was thinking but Jack straightened up and turned away from her, her slight hands making an almost rude dismissive gesture as she seemed to wave Abby from her mind.

Watching her leave, the vet sighed and went to the elevator. She still felt a deep sense of melancholy and apprehension when she realized that she had no control over her future, that it had become as uncertain as her mobility. She had thought that she had taken control of her life before she arrived here yet now that control had been yanked away from her as surely as she was standing in the elevator. She could take it back… But, there was no telling where she would end up then.

Exhausted suddenly, she took the elevator up to the living quarters and went to the Port Observation room to get her stuff. She wanted to take a shower, but when she went out, she noticed that Samara was at her own door. To her surprise, the asari had a small satchel over her shoulders and was wearing a coat as if she was expecting to go out. She frowned at the woman, who met her gaze as she turned away from her door. The asari stared at her for a long time before she inclined her head ever so slightly and went to the elevator. For a brief moment, Abby considered following her, but her own uncertainty held her back and she stayed behind, wondering if it would be the last time she ever saw the Justicar.

* * *

><p><strong>When the elevator opened, Shepard was there – waiting for her. <strong>Samara didn't blink or show any sign of surprise at the abrupt appearance of the woman, but she still felt her heart skip a beat when Jane Shepard turned her brilliant green eyes on her face. She looked at the satchel around Samara's shoulder and raised an eyebrow. Without giving her time to step out of the elevator she joined her and closed the door immediately.

"Shepard," Samara started, unconsciously stepping to the furthest wall away from the Commander as she turned to look at her. "I want to go to the airlock."

Shepard raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "That would not be necessary," she said and punched a number on the console. To Samara's dread, the elevator started moving upwards, to Jane's cabin. "We're not going to Omega."

Samara sniffed sharply and frowned at her. "Commander, I asked..."

"Yes," Jane said shortly, interrupting her as the elevator stopped. "Come with me Samara."

The Justicar looked at the door leading to Shepard's room and, for the first time in a couple of hundred years, balked. "No," she said – keeping her voice level as Jane stepped out of the elevator. "I ask again Commander, take me to Omega."

To her surprise Jane's mouth thinned in a brief sign of humour as she turned back to look at her. "Ask?" she queried. "Like that? That's a command Justicar – and this is still my ship. You are not going to Omega because you will be of more use to us on the Tetra planet. Justicar or no, you are an asari and we will need you. I will not let your personal feelings jeopardize this mission."

Samara blinked and took a step back, glaring up at the ceiling of the elevator as if she could see into the core of the AI. She wanted to tell EDI to take the elevator down to her quarters immediately but she knew that the AI wouldn't go against Shepard's command.

"This mission?" she queried. "This is merely a task which we took on Shepard. Our _mission_ is complete. We have gone through the Omega-4-Relay and come back to tell of it. I have done what I have signed up for. Let me go."

Shepard shook her head vigorously and crossed her arms as she looked up at Samara. "You came to me with this _task_," she reminded her. "And how _just_ is it if you only feel as if it is any of your business when your daughters are involved. You're in this until the end Samara – so, you will come to Tetra with us and then we'll all go to Omega. That's the end of it. Besides, do you really think that I'm stupid?"

Here, Samara blinked – clearly surprised. "Excuse me?" she queried making Jane shake her head sharply.

"Do you think that I would just let you go?" she queried. "After what happened? Do you think that I could just see you leave? I knew you were planning on finding some reason to leave the Normandy. There are plenty of unjust on Omega and you were going to use that to leave here..." Samara tried to object but Jane held up her hand. "I'm not stupid Samara," she pointed out. "And neither are you – so stop acting like it."

Frowning slightly Samara carefully shook her head and finally stepped out of the elevator. The door closed immediately and it disappeared down to the lower levels. "I have not, for one moment, thought that you are foolish Commander," she said slowly. "I would never think that of you."

Jane closed her eyes in a pained manner. "Then what _do_ you think Samara?" she queried. "What happened? How did this happen?" She motioned between them. "Ever since Abby's arrived we've been... disconnected."

Samara sighed and shook her head, letting her satchel drop to the floor. "It's been before that Jane," she said and looked the Commander in the eyes. "We've just had time to process it. Which is why I should've left the moment we returned from the Omega-4-Relay."

She could see the way Jane looked at her in disbelief, the way the woman closed her eyes as she tried to grasp and comprehend the fragile emotions that danced around them. It was what made her different from Samara, why she seemed unwilling to let this go – to let Samara go. The Justicar had learned a long time ago not to think about life and emotions for too long. When you've resolved to kill your daughter, you don't think about the moral consequences. And you certainly don't try to plan your life, or build it around fantasy of what might be…

"I don't understand Samara," Jane said honestly, voicing her thoughts. "I really don't understand why you feel that it is so crucial for you to leave. Why can't we have this? Don't you think that we of all people deserve… This friendship. Each other's company?"

Samara shook her head and turned away from the woman, pacing to the railing so that she could get away from Jane's piercing eyes.

"Because we are who we are Jane," she said. "You serve the galaxy the same way that I serve my Code. We cannot have love and we can certainly not have the _friendship_ of an equal. There does not exist such a thing for us."

"Why?" Jane asked again and this time, Samara turned around to face her.

"Because of who we are Jane," she said again, sharply. "And of whom we need to be. We each have a purpose Jane. I am a Justicar. I have been for longer than you have been _alive_, for longer than your family has existed in this world. I cannot turn away from that – but you, _you_ make me wish that I can. That's why we can't be together."

Jane blinked at her surprised and took a step back.

"Samara, I'm not asking you to change," she said. "I respect you for who you are and I'll never ask you to choose between me and... and being a Justicar. I don't understand how you can come to that."

Samara shook her head sharply and stepped forward abruptly, taking Jane's hands because she knew that her touch would be the one thing that would force the woman to concentrate. "I'm not saying you will Jane," she said softly. "I'm saying that one day – I will be forced to stand before a choice. Follow my code – or follow you." Jane's hands were surprisingly soft and warm as her recent resurrection have not given her body enough time yet to form all the calluses normally associated with a soldier's hands. As the woman looked into her eyes, Samara once again found her body compelled to movement without her control. She reached up and gently caressed the woman's cheek. "Also," she said softly as Jane's eyes met with hers. "I would hate to put you in the position between choosing to save me and choosing to save humanity. In the war that we are facing, that day will come."

Jane blinked and pulled back a little. "That will never happen," she said with a vehemence that spoke of denial.

Samara chuckled softly, bitterly and shook her head. "If you believe that you are either naive or a fool," she said softly. "And I do not think that you are either Commander Jane Shepard." She let her go and stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest. "It is inevitable that you will one day stand before a choice to sacrifice a few to save many, those closest to you included. You will know then that you cannot save everybody. Just like you couldn't save Lieutenant Alenko."

Grimacing at the mention of her once squad mate, Jane shook her head sharply and turned away from Samara, her face twisted in a frown. "That's low Samara," she said with a touch of irritation. "You have no call to bring that up."

The Justicar smiled sadly and shrugged. "But I'm right, aren't I?" she said.

Jane closed her eyes and shook her head as she took a steadying breath. When she opened her eyes again she had taken a hold of her emotions and looked more than the ship's Commander than the woman trying to court her.

"Fine," she said simply though Samara wasn't quite sure what she was agreeing too. "But you are still coming with us to Tetra Samara, you are not going to Omega. We'll need you there. We'll need your eyes, your judgement and your knowledge of Ardat Yakshi to try and piece together why that planet is so significant in all of this. Then, we'll go to Omega together – if Tetra does not point us in another direction."

Samara raised an eyebrow and sighed, smiling slightly as she shook her head. "Fine," she said softly. "And we will keep it professional?"

Jane raised an eyebrow and barked a laugh. "Professional?" she queried. "If you wish. If it keeps you from running away sure. We'll keep it professional."

Here, Samara had to frown. "Running away?" she queried. "Jane – I'm not running away."

She didn't like the look of knowing that entered the Commander's green eyes as she pushed past her and walked to her room. "Yes you are," she said simply. "And as I have to realize that I'll have to choose one day, you have to realize that. If you could do me a favour and tell Abby that she needs to get some rest. We'll be at Tetra in an hour and she's definitively coming down with us." She closed the door without another word leaving Samara to stare in her wake.

She blinked and turned to the elevator, wondering if she was doomed to keep finding herself here.

"I'm not running away," she said softly and called it up. "I'm merely protecting us from ourselves."

**The End of Chapter 25**


	26. Chapter 26

_**AN: A big thanks to everybody who has reviewed once again. I really appreciate it. **_

**A Contribution.**

**Abby joined them on the bridge, feeling awkward and still a little slow after her brief nap. **Naturally Joker was there and Samara though her appearance was as distant as it had been when she came to tell Abby to rest. She inclined her head as the vet joined them but immediately turned her gaze back to the planet looming ahead of them through the pilot's window. Commander Shepard though gave Abby a genuine smile when she saw her and shifted so that she could come and stand next to her. Feeling a touch of warmth, Abby grinned back and moved in beside Jane who touched her back briefly.

"Ahoy sailor," she said with a smile. "I see you've found your sea legs again."

Abby chuckled and crossed her arms to stop herself from fidgeting with her hands. "Don't start," she said. "Hello Joker, Samara."

The pilot turned around to grin at her. "Doc, I feel that it's my duty to tell you that you are not allowed to have as good a time as you did two nights ago without my presence." He turned to Shepard as Abby blushed. "Really Commander, you should stop chatting to every beautiful girl on the ship and leave some for the rest of us."

This time it was Jane's turn to blush slightly as she gave Joker a light tap on the shoulder. "Really Jeff," she said. "Do you think of nothing else while you're up here? Oh, Miranda..."

The Normandy's Second in Command joined them, looking a little flustered. "Sorry I'm late," she said. "What have I missed?" She gave Abby a brief, distant smile before looking at Joker who had turned back to the console.

"Ladies and... well... Ladies, meet Tetra. Basic earth like planet capable of sustaining life. According to our scans it has Iridium and Platinum in it, which's mining rights are held by Anetha Mining Corporation." He paused when Samara shifted as she turned to the gathered party.

"Which is owned by the Dushkriti family," she pointed out. "Seems we're at the right place."

Joker nodded and called up the grid of a surface scan. It looked like a schematic representation of a section of the planet and on it, quite prominently, stood out the outline of a twin peaked mountain. Abby's stomach turned when she looked at it, remembering how – in her dream she had prayed to the asari Goddess whilst looking at those mountains, right before she went down to the living room to kill all those people. She swallowed and tried to clear her throat of the nausea that build inside it. She didn't hear that the people were trying to get her attention until someone touched her back, making her jump and loose her balance immediately as her leg betrayed her. She would've fallen had it not been for Miranda's quick reflexes. The woman effortlessly slipped her arms in underneath Abby's shoulders and pulled her up before she fell down completely. There, she held her until she was sure that Abby had regained her footing. The vet's face burned as she pulled away from Miranda and moved against the entrance so that she could use the wall for support.

"Sorry," she muttered, not sure where to look as she slipped her hands into her pockets to hide how much they were shaking. "You asked me something?"

To her relief, nobody asked her if she was alright or what had happened. They just moved on as if they didn't see her moment.

"Does this look like the mountain from your dreams?" Jane asked, her features fixed on the schematic rather than Abby.

Abby swallowed and, when she was sure she wasn't going to fall, moved forward to Joker's seat. "It is," she said as she steadied herself against the chair. "Can I… ah… move the schematic?" She had seen how some of the crew members worked with the computers and had a fairly good idea of what to do next.

"Sure," Joker said. "Knock yourself out."

Abby nodded nervously and moved in beside his chair, careful not to touch the arm he had on the armrest. Taking a steadying breath she took her hand from her pocket and reached out to the schematic, carefully turning it around so that she could find the angle at which she had seen it. Her progress was slow and the schematic's movement's jerky because her hands were trembling significantly.

"Here," she said when she found the mountain face that she was looking for. "In my dream, this is what I saw from the house window. So… So the homestead is in the area on this side of the mountain. Will that help?" She turned to give those present an uncertain look.

Jane nodded and turned to the AI console. "EDI, scan that area and find us a landing point. Also, try and determine whether there are any communication channels open on the surface. The moment you've located a possible site for this house we'll go down. Abby?"

Abby, who had been looking at the planet from the window turned to her, unable to hide the anticipation that she felt. She felt her body jerk as her hand contracted involuntarily but chose to ignore it and managed to say a soft; "Yes?" to the commander.

There was a brief flash of sympathy in Jane's eyes as she motioned behind her. "Go to Kasumi and ask her to help you prepare," she said. "You're coming down with us. Your… memories might help us anticipate what we'll find down there."

Her anxiety increased tenfold but she schooled her features to calm and nodded simply. Without looking at anybody, she quietly left the bridge and went to the elevator. It was only when the door closed behind her that she let out the breath that she had been holding and hugged herself.

_Go to Tetra. You'll find your answers there. _She hoped against all hope that the woman was right…

* * *

><p>"<strong>Who are you taking with you?"<strong> Miranda asked as they watched Abby leave. "I hope you're not counting on her as fire power. Her co-ordination is terrible and she's worse today. She's nervous."

Shepard grimaced and glanced at Samara who was standing impassively on her side of the bridge near EDI. "I know," she said. "Garrus tested her this morning. Not that I was thinking of giving her a gun but I wanted to know if she can shoot if pressed."

Joker snorted from his side of the bridge and turned around to look at them again. "The moment you put pressure on her she shakes Commander," he said. "Not a good idea. Does she have to go? I mean – with all due respect, you'd never send me out in the field. It would be suicide for the whole squad."

Despite the gravity of what he said, Jane smiled at Joker and, on impulse, knocked his cap off of his head. "It won't be suicide," she said. "I just know where to utilize the talents of my crew members and you're far more worth to us up here than down there." She motioned to the planet. "And Abby will have to come with us. These are her memories that we're exploring or rather Asura's through her. We're not going in completely blind with her. And, she knows what she's looking for – we don't." She turned back to Miranda. "In answer to your question, I'm taking Samara with me and Grunt because I think that he needs some fresh air."

Miranda frowned at her and crossed her arms like she does when she's about to argue a point. "You're going to have to take someone else as well," she said. "Abby counts as a liability. If you get into a fire fight – for whatever reason, you're going to need someone to pick up her end."

To their surprise, the Commander smiled as she nodded and stepped away from the bridge. "I know," she said simply and winked. "Her end will be covered. Trust me."

* * *

><p>"<strong>What the fuck Shepard?"<strong> Jack exploded. "I'm no fucking babysitter!"

Shepard raised an eyebrow and leaned against the one crate, shrugging at the tirade that was Jack. "I know," she said simply. "You are a member of my crew. _My_ crew Jack. And, as a member of my crew, I am asking you to come with us down to the surface."

"Fuck that," Jack said as she stood up sharply and moved to the darker corner of her room. "You are asking me to play fucking nursemaid to that damned cripple that you have here. Miss 'I don't fight, I'm a vet'. I'm not doing it Shepard."

Shepard raised an eyebrow and fixed Jack with a firm look. "It wasn't the kind of request that can be declined Jack," she said. "You're coming with us."

The young woman snorted. "I'm not military," she said. "And I'm not Cerberus. You can't order me around."

"Neither am I," Shepard said without blinking. "But, you are on my ship Jack and – despite the fact that our 'bargain' is done, you are _still _on my ship. If you want to stay here, you have to start bringing your side. If you don't you're a worse kind of liability than Abby is. She's trying at least. You with your attitude, you're just wasting space and my time." She turned around abruptly and walked back up the stairs. She didn't have to wait long before she heard Jack curse in a way that a woman never should.

"Fuck it Shepard!" she snapped finally and stormed up the stairs behind her. "Damn you, you can't just say that and leave!"

Fighting not to smile Shepard turned around and raised an eyebrow at the tiny, petite young woman. "I always say what I mean Jack," she said, making sure to frown at her. "If you're don't want to come along that's fine by me. There are plenty of other people on this ship who would be more than willing to take your place because they understand what it means to be a part of something."

Jack glared at her and in a gesture that took Shepard by surprise, grabbed her arm and pulled her back, bringing her close to her face. "I am a part of this crew," Jack growled, her dark eyes blazing with fury. Yet, beyond that fury Shepard saw a flicker of doubt and fear. _She fears rejection, more than anybody on board, she would take it the hardest if I ever throw her out... _

"Then act like it," Shepard hissed. "Take responsibility for a life outside of your own. Come out with us and help me for heaven's sake. I need you just as much as I need every other person on this ship and I wouldn't ask you if I didn't think that you alone could do this task."

Jack's hand was painful on her shoulder as her fingers dug into Jane's flesh. Then, without warning she growled fiercely and jerked away from her and stormed up the stairs. At the top, she waited for Shepard, her dark eyes no less angry.

"Are you coming or fucking what?"

* * *

><p>"<strong>The good news is that they found the buildings most likely used as the homestead,"<strong> Kasumi said as they rode the elevator down to the cargo hold. "The bad news is that Joker can't drop you guys directly there – so you'll have to use the Hammerhead."

Abby took a steadying breath and refrained rubbed her brow as she gave the thief a sceptical look. "And that's a bad thing?"

Kasumi barked a laugh and patted her on the back sympathetically. "You've never seen the Commander drive have you?"

_Err..._ Abby's heart sank a little when she remembered how badly _she_ drove that damned hovercraft in the game. It had been one of the single most vexing features in her opinion and it had taken her ages to master the wretched little craft. _Damn me if she drives like I did..._ She thought as she looked at the Commander where she was with a small party gathered at the white Hammerhead. She looked like Abby remembered her from the game in her N7 armour, her face stern and focused as she looked up to their approach.

"Excellent," she said to nobody in particular. "We're all here. Abby – you come up here with me, I want you to see the landscape, tell me if you see anything that can tell you whether we're going in the right direction. The rest of you, find a seat and be nice about it – I know it's going to be a tight squeeze. Kasumi? Have you fitted her with a shield generator?"

The thief grinned and called up her omni-tool before she pushed it at Abby. There was a shimmer of blue as the shield prevented her from touching the woman. "Up and running Shep," she said. "I explained the dynamics of it to her and linked it up to her omni-tool. I also tried to squeeze her into some Cerberus armour but alas, she couldn't wear it. The general uniform will have to do."

It had been too heavy and awkward for Abby and she was relieved to see the Commander make a dismissive gesture with her hand. "If Jack can run into fire half naked I'm sure Dr. Gable can take a walk in the woods dressed like a Cerberus official." She pointed out. "Good to see that you're wearing a vest Abby, hopefully we won't need it. Come on." She started moving towards the Hammerhead.

Abby sincerely hoped that she was right. Sparing Kasumi a glance, wishing that the woman was going to come with them, she sniffed and followed the Commander, allowing the woman to assist her into the terrain vehicle. Glancing back at the other crew Abby was surprised to see that Jack was also there and glaring the hell out of her. Shifting awkwardly she glanced at Jane who had just gotten in next to her. She considered asking her why the petite woman was coming along but decided against it when Shepard started her pre-launch check with Joker.

Trying to ignore the death glare on her back, she settled back and found herself asking the universe one, small favour.

_Please don't let Shepard drive like I did..._

* * *

><p><strong>The atmosphere inside the Hammerhead was stifling.<strong> Nobody spoke a word through the thick tension and Grunt seemed to be the only one happily oblivious to it. They had been driving around for about an hour, trying to get close to the buildings that EDI had mapped for them but the terrain wasn't lending itself to exploration. As far as they searched, they couldn't find any place where they could move through the thick forests.

Abby found herself clinging to her seat, not liking the sensation of the moving Hammerhead at all. If it was only her, Shepard and Samara in the craft she'd have thrown up a long time ago. But, the judging gazes of both Grunt and Jack made her take an iron control on her stomach. It didn't make her feel any better.

Shepard was not a good driver.

"For fuck's sake," Jack was saying as the Hammerhead went over a particularly nasty bump. "Could you avoid the stones Shepard? You're impairing Grunt's ability be the fucking future of the krogan!"

The krogan snorted before Shepard had a chance to respond to Jack's remark. "We're plated," he said nonchalantly. "The krogan are strong and can withstand many collisions. It's going to take more than this craft to steal my future from me."

_Great,_ Abby found herself thinking as she swallowed and turned her gaze out of the window. _Now I'm wondering how krogan do it. Lovely._

Trying to shake the image from her mind, she frowned suddenly when she got a sense of déjà vu.

"Wait stop!" she said quickly. "Shepard stop, please."

There was a moan from the back. "Great, she's going to throw up…" Jack muttered when Shepard slowed down, glaring back at the young woman.

"Jack," she said in a warning tone then turned to Abby - who was trying to peer out of the window. "What did you see?"

Abby had twisted her body so that she could look back in the direction that they had come. "I think I know this place," she said. "We'll have to turn around and go back a couple of yards. Please Shepard."

The Commander raised an eyebrow and nodded, turning the Hammerhead around in a way that made half of the crew brace themselves against their seat. Swallowing, Abby looked out of the window as Shepard moved back slowly and held up her hand when she found the place she had seen.

"Here," she said. "We have to stop here." She fumbled with the clasp of her seatbelt and was the first person to get out of the vehicle when Shepard opened the doors. Being outside was... glorious. Abby was very careful not to show too much emotion as she drank in the fresh air, looking up at the trees that loomed up around her. Looking back to see the others get out of the Hammerhead, she carefully walked through the long grass, keeping her eyes on the ground for stones or uneven ground. When she was at the tree's edge, she took a moment to look around her, her body trembling with excitement as she was overcome by déjà vu again. Sniffing, not looking at the Normandy's crew, she took a couple of steps into the woods and smiled suddenly.

"Here," she said and walked to a sharp stone jutting out from the ground like a giant misplaced tooth. "This is familiar and... and there's a patch of white flowers just a few steps in." When she glanced back and saw that Shepard didn't look convinced, she blushed and shook her head – realizing that she had to be clearer. "And, a road to the house," she pointed out. "I'm... I'm pretty sure I remember using it." She grew more sombre, sighing when she thought about another person's memories in her own head. "Let me find the flowers and see if I'm right."

She walked away from the group slowly and deliberately, keeping her gaze fixed to the ground. She found what she was looking for exactly where she thought that it would be – though it brought her no real joy. Stepping up beside her, Shepard looked down at a patch of tiny white flowers. When Abby looked at her, she nodded slightly and smiled encouragingly.

"How far is the house?" she asked. "Or don't you remember?"

Abby shrugged and looked forward, into the forest. In her mind's eye she saw the image of a young asari racing past her, laughing at her surprise.

"_RACE YOU HOME!"_ Risha yelled and disappeared, from view and memory.

"Not long," Abby said softly. "I don't think it's far."

She could feel everybody's gaze on her for a few moments until Shepard nodded and motioned to her to start moving.

"Lead the way," the Commander said softly. "We'll be right behind you Abby."

**The End of Chapter 26**


	27. Chapter 27

_**AN: I was very busy this week and didn't get round to replying to most of the reviews. Please, accept my thanks here. I appreciate all that was said, as well as the amount of 'favourite story' additions that's been coming through. I appreciate it. Enjoy this next offering. **_

**Through the woods of memory**

**The walk was almost surreal.** Nobody spoke as they made their way through the thick forests, all following behind Abby in single file as she carefully walked along the barely visible path. The deeper they went in, the stranger she felt – as if there was an itch in her brain, an undertone of voices that she could just hear but not make out what they were saying. The feeling of déjà vu was overwhelming and she found herself glancing back repeatedly to reassure her that Shepard and the rest of her crew was still there and that she had not lost herself in the memory. They were hard to miss with Jack walking almost directly behind her, her angry features constantly glaring up at Abby whenever she made eye contact.

When Abby stumbled accidentally as she stepped on a rock that she didn't see, Jack growled something under her breath and yanked her up immediately even before she could regain her own footing. It made the vet wonder miserably what she had done to deserve the petite's woman's rough kindness.

_Is it because I'm sick?_ She wondered. _Or a doctor? What? Is it because she saw me press a gun against my temple?_ She shivered and tried to push all her thoughts away, looking up at the road ahead of her. Her mouth went dry when she realized that they were almost at the homestead, that the grounds should appear in a minute or two. Her mind burned at the memory of a big, two story house and she had to stop, pressing her palms into her temples to try and still her thoughts. She found herself wishing that Asura was there and then immediately berated herself, wondering what use the killer would be to her.

_She's a killer. And an Ardat Yakshi. Remember that._

But, she was also a sister…

"Abby?" It was Samara's voice that pulled her back. "Are you alright?"

Swallowing, Abby glanced back at the Justicar and nodded wordlessly. "We're almost there," she said. "It's just through here. I think." _Do I have all her memories? Does she have mine? What does she know about me? _Most of Asura's memories seemed to be linked to this house and this planet. Maybe she had just carried these over? Abby didn't know.

On impulse she started jogging, careful to try and keep her balance but move forward as quickly as she could. The others followed without protest, though Jack growled something about breaking her neck when she fell. She ignored the woman and only stopped when the trees disappeared suddenly, revealing the house from Abby's memory. She stared up at it, her heart thundering in her chest as started moving forward. She was yanked back roughly when Jack grabbed her arm without warning and pulled her back into the woods.

"You can't go fucking waltzing in there," the ex-convict growled and pushed her behind a tree. "Fucking idiot."

Shepard frowned when she moved past Abby and Jack, giving the convict a warning look before she motioned to Grunt and Samara to flank her.

"We'll check out the area," she said. "Jack, watch our backs and _be civil._"

Snorting, Jack manhandled Abby to the floor and kept her gun ready but the vet knew that it wasn't the most dangerous weapon that the woman could wield. She could almost feel her ready her power as she towered over her, her one foot planted firmly beside Abby's face. She tried to get up and see what was happening with Shepard but Jack pushed her down roughly, practically stomping the boot onto her back.

"Down," the convict said in such a way that Abby knew if she tried to get up again there would be dire consequences. "If people start fucking shooting I don't want to have to cover your back as well."

Grimacing, Abby tried to slow her breathing, taking note of how familiar the earth smelled, as if she had spend countless hours lying in it, familiarising it...

"All clear!" Came Shepard's call. "Abby?"

Jack stepped away from her but didn't bother to help her up as she strode over to the spectre. Abby followed a little bit slower as she struggled to get her legs to work along with her arms. _This is a bad day, I should not have run this morning..._ She managed to pull herself up against the tree and went to where Shepard was standing with Samara. Jane was glaring at Jack before she turned to Abby.

"Grunt's still surveying the back of the yard," she said. "But, this place looks as if it has been closed for months Abby. What were you hoping to find here?"

Abby opened her mouth to speak but couldn't immediately find her voice. Instead she found herself pulled to the front door and knocked on it, her wrist trembling from more than just her disease. "There should be somebody here," she whispered, pushing against it to see whether it would open. "I mean... She... There must be something here."

Shepard grimaced and shared a look with Samara. Her orange omni-tool appeared on her hand as she brought it to her head. "Grunt," she called out over the communication's link. "Have you found anything?"

"I have found nobody Shepard," came the Krogan's blunt reply. "But there are signs of a forced entry. Come round the house."

Abby's heart sank as a part of her knew what they were going to find.

_Broken glass by the back door, would she have time to clean it up? No... There's so much to do..._

"Abigail?"

Again it was Samara who brought her back to reality. Opening her eyes to a sense of vertigo, Abby focused on the Justicar until she had her balance back. "Samara," she breathed and coughed. "I'm... sorry. My head is so full of... It feels as if I'm going mad."

The asari grimaced and, motioning to Shepard and Jack to carry on, carefully cupped Abby's face in her hands. "Take a deep breath," the asari whispered, forcing her to look into her eyes. "Focus on a single thought, one thought that is yours. One that can't be confused with anybody else's. It must be a strong memory, one that you can hold onto to ground you." She hesitated as Abby closed her eyes. "Can you find it Abby?"

The vet took a steadying breath and for a few seconds allowed her mind to wander. At first she remembered the smell of earth, of walking down the path with Risha but then she pushed it back and went further, away from the woods. A memory touched her, an image...

* * *

><p>"<strong>Doc?" <strong>

She sat up startled and looked at the young woman who was standing in her kitchen, her face dark with concern. When she saw her looking at her, the youth took a step back and blushed embarrassed.

"I'm sorry for just coming in," she said. "I knocked but there was no answer. I thought that you would've heard Bullet barking…" Abby looked down automatically and realized that her chocolate Labrador wasn't at her feet anymore but rather beside the young woman, looking at her with the most adoring expression that any animal could muster. She forced herself to smile and stood up, pushing the full, but cold cup of coffee away from her.

"It's alright Kaylee," she said to her assistant. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought and forgot that you were coming. You're going to take Bullet for a walk?"

The young woman smiled brightly, a dimple appearing on her round and freckled face. Her dirty blond hair was tied back, accentuating her deep blue eyes. Kind eyes.

"I thought that I would," she said. "But I thought that maybe you could come along? It might be good to get out. After today."

_After today_. Such a short summary for the chaos which had enveloped her life this morning. Despite that though, she didn't feel upset anymore, for all the crying that she had done in her office after they had managed to capture that damned orange kitten. She just felt…. Calm. Indifferent. As if she was staring at a life that wasn't hers.

When she realized the girl was still staring at her it dawned on her that she would have to say something. "It's alright Kaylee," she said softly and gave the youth a reassuring smile. "I'm not up to it. Not today. But…" She moved forward, realized that she was going to lose her balance and instinctively reached out and steadied herself against the kitchen counter. Her eyes caught sight of the crutches that stood in the corner next to her fridge. A _gift_ from her doctor two weeks ago. _Use them when you're tired,_ he had said. _Nobody would think any less of you Abby._

"Could you take Bullet for a decent walk? An hour? Or two? It's such a lovely day outside and he didn't go yesterday."

Kaylee didn't respond immediately but rather took a hesitant step forward. "Doc," she said. "You can come with us. You won't… I mean, I think it would be good for you to come out. We'll go as fast or as slow as you want to."

_So earnest,_ Abby thought and shook her head, putting on a fake smile. "Not today Kaylee," she said. "Bullet needs to run and I need to… process the day. I have a lot of paperwork that I need to do. It would be good to have an hour or two to myself. You two enjoy each other's company. I'll only hold you back."

Despite the mood, Kaylee smiled down at the Lab and patted him on impulse. "I always enjoy his company regardless," she said. "He's a super dog Doc. And… so are you."

Through her indifference, Abby had to laugh as she leaned against the counter and gave Kaylee a quizzed look. "I'm a super dog?" she queried dryly to which the young woman blushed.

"No," she said. "I mean, you're super. I know… Doc, I know that today was hard. We all do. But, it will get better again. You know, tomorrow will be better and… And we'll support you. All of us. We talked when you were gone and…" She blushed suddenly, as if she had said something that she shouldn't have. "I mean… We just don't want you to give up alright? If you need to take a break or go on shorter shifts… Doc Anton said that it would be fine. We'll work something out. You'll always be a part of the practice. I mean... it's yours. Don't give up."

Abby sighed and on impulse stepped forward and hugged the youth. "I know Kaylee," she said. "Things will work themselves out. Don't worry about me alright? Go take my dog for a walk. I'll be here when you get back."

It seemed to be the words that Kaylee was looking for as she returned the hug then moved to the door, looking a lot better than she had when she came in. "Right Doc," she said and took the lead from behind the door. "I'll get us some crispy duck and something when I come back, how's that?"

She forced herself to smile, her indifference folding over her again like a blanket. "That won't be necessary Kaylee," she said. "I'm not hungry. Thank you though… For everything. I appreciate what you do for Bullet and me."

The girl grinned at her and left, taking the ecstatic dog with her. Abby watched them leave, her hands slipped into the pocket of her lab coat that she had never bothered taking off when she got home. She wished that she could feel something, anything as she saw the two running across the common but there was nothing but cold indifference. Sighing, she closed her eyes and headed up the stairs, leaving the door open behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>Samara saw Abby take a breath, then another as her face became impassive.<strong> Smiling bitterly, wondering what memory the woman had chosen, she let go of her and stood back.

"Are you feeling better?" she queried when Abby opened her eyes. Something had slipped into the woman's dark gaze, a clinical distance that Samara could imagine she wore when she was in her practice. She smiled at the Justicar, though it didn't touch her eyes. Yet, she appeared grateful when she nodded.

"Yes," she said simply. "Much better. Thank you Samara." She turned carefully and precisely, as if she was acutely aware of every movement that she made and moved in the direction that the other two had gone. Samara soon followed, looking around the forest for any signs of life or ambush. Shepard, Grunt and Jack were waiting for them in the backyard, Jack's face a picture of everlasting fury when she looked at the vet. Samara found that she never thought about the ex-convict too much, choosing to tactfully ignore her past and trusting Shepard with her future. If the Commander didn't turn her around, she would inevitably fall into the same destruction that she had been causing all these years. Like so many of the crew, Shepard was her only hope.

_Jane. _

Samara sighed when she glanced at the Commander, though refrained from meeting her gaze for too long. It was strange how the woman drew people towards her, how she made them feel as if she was their last chance of survival. A symbol of hope. Samara had not seen anybody in her generation who wielded the power that Jane did. Fifty years ago she would not have thought it possible for humans to hold such influence but she had been proven wrong, not just through watching Shepard but through studying their history. Their race was filled with individuals who shook their world to its core. She didn't want to be here, if she had a choice, she would've been in Omega, or the Citadel or even Illium just to get away from the force that the Commander held over her. But, Jane had refused and there was nothing she could do to oppose it.

Pulling her attention away from the Commander, Samara turned to Grunt who was explaining something as he motioned up to the windows on the second floor. Two of them had been knocked out and one had a tattered curtain pulled out of it, the torn fabric moving idly in the light breeze.

"There was a break in," the krogan said shortly. "Whoever was here last closed the door, but didn't bother to fix the windows."

To their surprise, Jack took a moment from her glaring to look up at the window. "Yeah," she said. "But, I wouldn't call it a break in Grunt. See, both doors are locked and there's no sign of a forced entry. If it was a break in, the doors would've been open so that the thieves can take out the swag." She made an off hand gesture towards the door. "And, there's no sign that this was fixed any time within the past year. See... There's old signs of the creeper on it. Like someone's gone and cleaned it, year after year after year." She made a slap in the direction of the dark green plant that had climbed up against the back wall. "Nobody's done it this season."

Shepard raised an eyebrow in Jack's direction and smiled slightly, turning to Abby who was looking up at the broken windows, her face pale but expressionless.

"What can you tell us Abby?" she queried. "Did all of this happen during the attack that you saw in your dream?"

The vet glanced at her and shook her head, her mouth thinning as she stepped up to the door and traced the electronic lock. "I think we should go inside," she said, her tone clearly surprising Shepard. It was monotonous and to the point. "I don't remember the combination." She frowned and shook her head and added in a softer tone of voice. "And, I don't think that there's anybody here to open for us."

Shepard didn't move immediately but glanced at Samara though she turned her gaze away just as quickly as Samara had looked away from her. "Who were you expecting?" she queried and stepped up to the door, calling up her omni-tool as she did so.

Abby sighed and made a defeated gesture. "Risha," she said. "Asura or their mother. Someone..." She shrugged as she crossed her arms and glanced at Samara who was frowning at her.

"Their mother?" she queried. "Are you saying that these two asari were sisters?"

The vet didn't reply immediately as she watched how Shepard started to bypass the door's lock. "Didn't I tell you?" she said softly. "I remembered this when I was watching Oriana playing. It was just a brief memory. Asura was watching Risha dance." She sighed and turned her gaze to the Commander who had stepped away from the door.

"Abby," Jane said levelly. "Why didn't you tell us this? I was under the impression that you would share your memories with us."

The vet didn't seem discouraged by her tone and shrugged. "Everything went to south just shortly after that. We found the body, Liara took us to her apartment then I went to your cabin..." She smiled slightly here. "Needless to say I didn't think about it again till now. If I thought the memory was important I would've said something. As it is, the only thing of importance it held was..." She grimaced and turned to the door. "The imprint of a sister's love. Are we going inside?"

Shepard made to answer but was interrupted when Grunt suddenly stepped in front of the vet, his blue eyes sharp as he stared down at her. She stiffened but didn't take a step away from him, instead craning her head up so that she could meet his gaze. They made a strange image, the massive young krogan who was the embodiment of his species' genetic future and the thin, almost frail vet who bore the burden of her family's genetic past. Abby didn't move as Grunt bend down with a growl, the indifference that Samara had seen her wrap around herself still firmly held in place.

"When I was in the tank," Grunt growled. "I received images and memories that weren't mine from Okeer. They drove me to feel and analyse events that were not of my making. They put me on a path that led me to choose to stand beside Shepard. They became my memories. They made me who I was, even though I am my own. I cannot deny that they influenced me. How do these memories of yours influence you? How can we trust that they are leading you on a path that _we_ can follow? You have not sworn your allegiance to Commander Shepard as the rest of us has."

Abby sniffed and uncrossed her arms so that she could point a finger at Grunt. "These memories do not define me," she hissed. "They are not mine and they weren't placed there for a purpose. I can't deny that they make me feel intensely about this young asari but I know that she is nothing of me. I am bloody old enough to distinguish between what is mine and what is not. And whether you trust me or not is up to Shepard." She glanced at the Commander, her gaze intense. "I know what kind of person she is and I won't betray her. Or any of you. I am a vet, it's the only thing I have to hold onto here. And as a vet, I will not do harm. I won't."

Shepard moved before Grunt could retaliate, brushing her hand over Abby's shoulder as she stepped in between her and the krogan. "She's good Grunt, trust me," she said. "Thank you for your concern but, it's alright."

Grunt glared at the Commander but he stepped back immediately. "I _am_ concerned Shepard." Was all he said before he joined a spot next to Jack who gave him a surprisingly understanding look. Samara, who had chosen to remain out of this confrontation found herself thinking that in a way Grunt and Jack had a lot in common and that they were both bred to kill. The act of taking a life gave them a strange amount of satisfaction.

Sighing, she stepped up to the door and glanced at Shepard for conformation before she opened it, mentally preparing her biotics for any attack which might come their way. There was none, only a slight amount of stirring in the wind which touched her face as air rushed out of the house.

It smelled... bad.

"Something died in there," Grunt said immediately and Samara turned to see Abby close her eyes with a pained expression before she steeled herself and took a step forward. Shepard carefully put a restraining hand on her chest to stop her from moving and wordlessly motioned to Samara and Grunt to step into the house and spread out to see what was going on.

Samara did so, her mind strangely returning to that day which she had to slaughter a whole village for Mordith's sins. _Have what you are destroyed your family Asura?_ She thought bitterly. _As I have destroyed mine? _

**The End of Chapter 27**


	28. Chapter 28

_**AN: Sorry for the long time between chapters, it's certainly not the pace that I had in the beginning. Life's pretty busy at the moment (in a good way, not bad) so I don't have as much writing time as I used to. Thank you again to my Second in Command who helped me with this chapter. You keep me on track. **_

**The House**

Destruction.

Coming in behind Shepard, Grunt and Samara, Abby looked into the house and felt a rush of devastation slam against the indifference that she had been keeping around her. She took a steadying breath and held it until she felt her emotions settle. While she waited, Shepard and her crew spread through the house's lower level. There was a lingering foul smell in the air and – although she was used to the odours associated with death - Abby felt her stomach turn. Mentally blaming the Hammerhead she looked at the Commander as they came back. Jane's green eyes were grave when she motioned to the destruction around them.

"Did this happen in your memory?" she queried. "Was this Asura's doing?"

Abby took a steadying breath and moved forward, resisting the urge to call out Risha's name. "It is," she said and stepped away from the door. They had come into the kitchen, a large spacious area that bore a disconcerting resemblance to one of the National Trust estate homes back in her reality. It was an open plan setup, spacious, which lead into a comfortable living area. When Abby closed her eyes she could still see the horrified expression of the mercenary Asura had killed when she pulled him apart with her biotics. Shaking the image from her head, Abby stepped further into the house, motioning to the stairs.

"Asura and her sister were up there," she said. "She came down those stairs, killing everybody that she could see."

Grunt made a considering sound. "Which species were present?" he queried.

Abby hesitated and tried to remember. "Humans," she said. "Batarians and one or two turians. I don't know if those from the nightmare were all that were around." She grimaced and started moving towards the stairs. She stopped though when there was a surprised whistle behind her.

Jack had moved towards the one wall and was staring at it with interest. At first, Abby thought that she was looking at the painting but then she motioned to a specific dark stain.

"Samara, have you seen this?"

The Justicar's face tightened as she nodded ever so slightly. "I have," she said simply and turned away from the wall. Jack raised an eyebrow and turned to Shepard.

"Do you know what caused this?" she said. "You know this is body matter, right?"

Jane frowned and stepped closer to the wall. Abby saw her study the stain and then study several others that were dotted along the walls, the ceiling and the carpet.

"Enlighten me," she said tightly.

Abby didn't like the excited look that was in Jack's eyes as she moved to a nearby couch. She picked up a decorative cushion and brought it back to the commander. Her biotics suddenly flared up around her as she let go of the cushion but kept it hovering in the air with her dark energy. Shepard frowned at the display but didn't stop it.

"What's been done here," Jack started to explain. "Is this..." The cushion exploded suddenly but instead of the shower of stuffing that Abby expected the whole pillow seemed to disintegrate to a fine dust. She knew what Jack was demonstrating – in her dream Abby had done it, ripping someone to shreds on a molecular level with her biotic power – but Shepard seemed surprised as she frowned at Jack.

"You're saying that this was done to a person?" she queried and turned to Abby who shrugged uncomfortably.

"A turian," she said simply. "She did it a couple of times."

Jack seemed even more impressed. "See," she said. "I can't do it on more than one person, two if I'm really pissed off. It takes a lot of energy and I feel that it invests more power into a single attack than I care to spare in battle. Samara?"

The Justicar wasn't looking at them.

"Ardat Yakshi are more powerful than normal asari," she said simply and turned to Abby. "Shall we continue to investigate the premises? Tell us the moment you remember something."

The vet nodded and headed for the stairs. "The bedrooms are up here," she said, "and the study... I think. We'll hopefully find something there."

Shepard nodded and motioned to Grunt and Jack. "You two stay down here, keep a look out. We still don't know if we're alone here or not."

The two fighters shared a look and nodded. Abby started up the stairs but Shepard motioned her to step away and headed up first – her gun drawn. Abby watched her go and hesitated, her mind turning as she struggled to keep her thoughts focused on her own memories. She shuddered suddenly when she realized that the last time she had stood at the bottom of a home staircase was in her own – the very same day she arrived in Banrio. She also remembered standing at this staircase as Asura, after she had just slaughtered all of the attackers. She had just thrown up out of horror when Risha screamed...

Abby pulled herself back with effort and took a steadying breath. She noticed that Shepard had already reached the top of the stairs and was waiting for her. Samara was standing beside her, her presence unwavering.

"Are you alright?" she asked again as she had outside the house. More than the others she seemed to understand how schizophrenic Abby felt. The vet nodded and carefully went up, cautious not to trip. She was halfway when she slipped for the first time, misjudging where she had to place her foot. She barely managed to bring her arms up in time to stop her from falling on her face. A flash of frustration passed through her and a deep irritation directed towards her mobility. The irritation shattered her indifference and turned it into despair when she realized that her last time on a staircase she had hoped that there would be some release from her fate but all it had given her was a life in this world where she didn't belong. Her indifference slipped away to embarrassment when she picked herself up. She made to take a step but found her world spinning suddenly and her stomach heave as she heard the sound of a window breaking and her sister's screams…

* * *

><p><strong>At first she had thought that Abby fell because of her coordination but then, just as the vet managed to pick herself up she bend double and threw up.<strong> Shepard didn't move to assist her as Samara was already there. The Justicar stepped towards her but Abby, with her one hand clinging to the railing of the stairs, motioned her away. Shepard took note of how much her wrist was shaking as she wiped her mouth and looked away from the mess that she had made. She reminded Jane of Liara suddenly, of the pale scientist she had rescued from Therum who had never seen a gunfight in her life, yet who had been thrust into a situation unlike any her history had prepared her for. Liara too had thrown up the first time she took her out into the field – right after she had to kill a mercenary. This had not been the life that the asari wanted to live but Shepard had pulled her along regardless even though she wasn't a soldier.

She closed her eyes against the accusation from her own conscience of her role in Liara's current life and quickly turned back to Abby.

"Stop Abby," she said as the woman started up the stairs again. "Go out and get some fresh air, you can hardly stand."

Abby blinked at her as if she had forgotten that she was there. It took a long time for her gaze to focus on Shepard before she glanced behind her at the corridor behind the stairs. If she wanted to protest, she couldn't find the words. Shaking her head, Shepard carefully moved down the stairs, blocking Abby's path.

"You've seen this Abby," she said. "There's no call for you to be up here right now. We'll see what we can find and call you back up once we've established what's around."

Sniffing, the vet finally gathered herself. "I don't remember what happened up here," she said but there was darkness in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Shepard grimaced and motioned to Jack.

"Take her outside," she said. "I suspect you'll remember Abby whether you go into these rooms or not. Go down, please. Jack?"

Knowing better than to object, the convict had come up the stairs and took Abby's arm. Her touch was rough but she had the sense not to pull the vet down, allowing the dumbstruck woman to make her own way. She seemed to have slipped away in her mind, as if she was hardly seeing any of what was going on around her.

Samara watched the two leave, then turned to Shepard, her eyes full of doubt.

"She's the reason we're here Shepard," she said. "I think it is crucial that she comes up."

Shepard raised an eyebrow and shrugged, turning her back on the asari as she headed back up and down the hall. "I want to give her a moment to collect herself Samara," she said. "It is the kindest thing to do. We have all day here – she can come up when she's ready. She's not ready now."

* * *

><p><strong>Jack deposited her by the back door with a growl, letting her drop down against the building.<strong> Abby was scarcely aware of the convict, feeling like two people trapped in one body. Her concentration had slipped and Asura's memories were overwhelming her, here in this place. Even though she was out of the house, she still felt as if she was there, moving up the stairs.

When she closed her eyes she saw the fresh blood that spilled around her, the stench of excrement where the mercenaries had soiled themselves out of fear. She had become a monster, a goddess, a protector of her sister. The smells, the sights and the horror of what she had managed to do with her power overwhelmed her and she bend double, throwing up noisily. When she was done and spent, she steadied herself and took a deep breath, turning away from the massacre to head back to Risha.

She was just about to start up the stairs when she heard the windows of the top level break. Abby froze for a second, her heart skipping a beat. _No,_ she thought. _No..._

Her sister started screaming.

"RISHA!" Abby shouted and launched herself up the stairs, taking them two at a time. "Risha!" She reached the bedroom where she had left her sister in record time. She pushed against the door, then remembered that she had locked it in such a way that it could only be opened from the inside. She could still hear her sister's screams on the other side and a loud thud that sounded like a body hitting the wall.

"RISHA!" She called again, pounding against the door. "OPEN UP! OPEN THE DOOR!" When nothing happened and her sister stopped screaming, Abby choked back a sob, summoned all of her power and used it to tear the door off of its hinges. It took so much effort that the act felt as if she had used her power to tear open her own chest but she managed and threw it away, stepping into the room.

Stepping into hell.

They had her sister, these mercenaries who attacked her. They didn't seem surprised as she stepped into the room, one fully armed merc immediately pressing a gun against her sister's head where he held her against his chest. Risha's eyes were white with terror as she looked up at her, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. There were dark scars on the walls which might have come from her biotics but Abby couldn't be sure. It was clear that the three mercs in the room had overwhelmed her fairly quickly after they burst through the window. The gun that Abby had given her lay in the one corner of the room.

Forgotten.

"Let her go," Abby hissed immediately, her fists balled as she stared at the three men. "Or I swear you will regret this day."

The mercenary roughly pressed the gun into Risha's temple, making the young asari whimper in fear. A dark stain formed on her pants, but Abby ignored it and instead focused on the men around her. They had their weapons trained on her and she found herself calculating how fast she could throw up a biotic barrier. She should've wrapped one around herself before she opened the door but she had acted too quickly.

"Drop your weapons," the one merc said. "And move towards the wall. If you co-operate with us, we won't harm her." By his tone of voice, she suspected that he was a batarian but it was hard to judge behind the mask.

Abby didn't move immediately, her eyes locked with her sister's. "What do you want here?" she hissed. "Why are you in my home?"

"Co-operate with us," the merc said again, "and we will answer all your questions. Now, move towards the wall slowly or we will kill her. I will not ask you again."

Panic rose up inside her as she still found herself gathering her power, despite the exhaustion that now threatened to dampen her strength. Her effort to take down the door had drained a lot of her energy, but she could still not let it go in fear that they might hurt Risha. Her biotics was the only weapon she had on her now – she had long since discarded the gun she had used.

"Why are you here?" she demanded again, but held up her hands and took a step back. "Please, why did you attack us? If it's credits that you want – just say. I'll give you what you want just... let her go. She's a child. My father... My father is powerful. She'll give you anything..."

They ignored her as the two mercenaries in the room carefully came to either side of her and grabbed her arms roughly. Manhandling her to the floor, one put his foot between her shoulder blades as the other prepared to tie her hands behind her back. Abby tried to control her breathing as she made sure to keep her gaze on Risha's petrified face.

"It's going to be okay Rish," she said, involuntarily flinching when the first cuff enclosed around her wrist. "We'll sort this out. It's going to be okay..."

The world slowed down without warning and ended in an instant.

Before the mercenary could lock in her other wrist, her sister moved suddenly. Abby had a split second's warning, but not enough time to stop her as Risha suddenly summoned her biotics powers and tried to lash out at the men around them. She managed to knock one of the mercenaries away from Abby before the merc holding her pushed his gun back against her temple and fired. Whether it had been instinct or his intention all along, Abby would never know. As her sister crumbled to the ground she felt something inside her break and she started screaming.

She screamed as she lashed out with her power which was available in a heartbeat. She didn't throw her biotics at the mercs as she pushed herself up with an animal like strength and grabbed the first man by his helmet. Instead she opened herself and let her power pulse from her as she continued screaming. She could feel their life essence around her, the pull that she had suppressed for so long. The last time she had done this to another being was decades ago – as an innocent young maiden who thought that she was about to find her first love.

Tearing the helmet away with her biotics, Abby found the merc's thick batarian skin and pushed her fingers into his neck. The melding took only a fraction of a second, so ready was she with her power. Ecstasy, pain and self loathing flowed through her as she felt the man's very soul in her hands. Then, she let everything go – her self control, her sense of self and her power. He screamed and crumbled from her hands as she let him go. The merc which her sister had managed to hit with his power had stood up and was aiming a gun at her but she threw a wave of biotics at him so hard that he flew all the way to the stairs, crashing against the wall with a sickening thud. She didn't even bother to see whether he managed to get up again, her attention turned to the man who had shot her sister.

He was fumbling, panicked, shouting something at her she didn't hear as she cried out again and stormed at him. He fired once, twice and if he hit her, she didn't feel it. A burst of biotics shattered his gun in his hands and he stepped back, only to find that he had nowhere to go. He yelped in pain and held up his hands in defence as Abby made a lunge for him. She grabbed him by the arm and twisted her own body, throwing him down on the floor next to her sister's body. The fall had dislodged his helmet and she kicked it away, revealing his human features. His eyes were white with fear as he stared at up her.

"Please!" he said. "I didn't mean to I..."

She sat down on top of him and grabbed his head as if she wanted to tear it from his shoulders. She made sure to look into his eyes as she tightened her grip on his face. "Embrace eternity!" she yelled and for the second time in as many minutes she melded with him, drawing in all his fear, his panic, his regret and his excruciating ecstasy as her power flowed through his body and made it her own.

Abby took a deep breath and opened her eyes to the forest around the house, shivering when she felt the sensation of power running through her nerves. Swallowing, she took a steadying breath and looked into the door, seeing Jack and Grunt lounging around in the kitchen. Not wanting to attract their attention, Abby shifted away from the door and carefully pushed herself up. She was aware of a cold sensation on her cheeks and – when she touched her face she found it wet with tears.

_At least I wasn't screaming,_ she thought bitterly as she looked up at the broken window. _Asura was. She held her sister for… Hours. Her dead sister… Risha._ Her heart twisted painfully as she felt another fresh set of tears well up in her eyes though she took another steadying breath and swallowed them away. _She was not my sister, I was merely a witness to her death._

Still, it hurt.

Glancing back to see whether or not Jack had noticed her getting up, Abby instinctively picked a direction and headed into the forest, the impression of a body touching her arms.

* * *

><p>"<strong>You know," Shepard was saying as they moved through the top level of the house.<strong> "You see a lot of evidence that there was a fight here. Blood, destroyed pieces of furniture, more blood and _body matter_ as Jack put it. But no bodies. I wonder why that is?"

The metal decoration on Samara's forehead rose slightly as she lifted her brow, though she didn't seem to think about the answer long when she replied. "The corpses must've been moved," she said. "Either by the mercenaries or by the family themselves. Though, they must've left soon after because they didn't take the time to clean everything up properly." She trailed off and went to the window.

Shepard's mouth thinned as she joined the Justicar where she was looking down at Abby, who was directly below them. The vet was sitting very quietly beside the back door, staring off into space. As they watched, Jack came out to look at her before she disappeared back into the kitchen, probably to talk to Grunt.

"Let's go to the study," Shepard said and stepped back into the room, turning towards the door. "I think I saw some security cameras around. Maybe we can find a console linked to them."

Samara made a considering sound, but didn't move immediately. Shepard took a moment to study her, taking note of her serene features and her stiff back. Looking beautiful, alien and distant, she was the one person whom Jane could see herself loving as an equal – one that would not be intimidated by her legacy, for she had one of her own. She hadn't realized how much she wanted Samara till that fateful moment where the Justicar had laid her hands on her hips. She recognised something of herself in the woman, the burden of duty and the loneliness that came with it. She knew how much it weighed on her at times and to have someone who could share it…

She couldn't understand why the asari was being so stubborn.

Sighing, she left the room and went in search of the study – taking note of the destruction that was present all around her. She found it hard to believe that _one_ asari could do so much damage – even if she were an Ardat Yakshi. Jane believed quite firmly that power had to have a balance and if that balance was tipped too much in one favour, the source of power had to be destroyed. It was why she was wary of Cerberus – they wanted _too_ much power. If one person, one single asari held so much power, it would make her a force to be reckoned with and an asset to be procured.

She shivered suddenly and quickly found the study, thinking that it was time for them to get out of the house. The study was the neatest room that she had seen so far and it was clear that the fight had not been dragged in here. Jane studied the lay out and immediately went to a console standing on the one desk. At first she considered hacking it there, but then the sense of urgency that she had felt pressed against her chest. Calling up her omni-tool she used it to make a virtual copy of the whole hard drive. She could have a look at it on the Normandy when they got back and – if there was anything else that they needed then they could rather come back here and get it. As she was waiting for it to download, she felt someone staring at her and turned to find Samara standing in the door. The Justicar was looking at her with the same distant gaze that Jane had felt from her all day. She met the asari's eyes and held them, daring her to look away.

Instead of looking away though, Samara held her gaze and motioned to her omni-tool. "Have you found anything?" she queried softly.

Without thinking, Jane glanced at her omni-tool, breaking eye-contact. She felt tricked as she frowned and shook her head. "I'm copying the system," she said. "Then, I'll add a program which we can use to initialise contact from within the Normandy. We have to go Samara; could you go down and tell the others?"

The Justicar nodded immediately, her gaze too relieved when she turned and left. _She sensed it too,_ Shepard thought suddenly. _She feels what I do, that we have to get out of here as quickly as possible. Damn this bloody omni-tool, can't it go any faster? _

She counted to a slow ten, thanking the gods of technology when the omni-tool shut off before she finished her count. She moved out of the room just in time to hear Samara call out loudly.

"Abigail!"

Blinking, Jane rushed to the broken bedroom window and looked out to see Samara standing by the back door, looking out across an empty lawn.

"Samara!" She called down. "What's wrong?"

The asari looked up, frustration clear in her gaze. "Abby's gone," she said. "She's not here."

"What?" Jane snapped immediately. "I told Jack to watch her!"

The ex-convict appeared beside Samara, her face angry but her stance defensive. "I was watching her!" she snapped. "She was right here a moment ago!"

"Damn it Jack!" Jane rarely got angry. Having grown up on an Alliance ship, she had learned at a young age to control her emotions. As a young child she learned that losing control could be embarrassing when everybody knew who you were and, later in life, she learned that any reaction in anger had a price. But, negligence had one as well. "I told you to watch her!"

Like a teenager, Jack threw her hands up in denial. "I did!" she exclaimed again but this time Jane was ready for her.

"Then she shouldn't be gone Jack!" She snapped. "I'm coming down!"

She stormed out of the room and down the stairs, seizing Jack the moment she was within touching distance. The petite woman flinched immediately – her thin arms tightening under Jane's grip. She could tell that Jack was preparing her biotics but she knew that the woman wasn't stupid enough to actually use it on her.

"What happened?" She growled and turned to Grunt who came around the house. She didn't even have to ask him if he found the vet because then he wouldn't have returned empty handed.

At first, Jack tried to pull out of her grip, her icy eyes glaring up at Shepard as she sneered at her. "Let me go," she snapped. "Fuck Shepard, she's probably just gone for a fucking walk. She's not stupid enough to fucking disappear. She can hardly walk on her own!"

"I find it highly unlikely that she has taken it upon herself to go for a stroll," Samara said coldly. "Jane, I'm going to start scouting the area. Grunt – if you can accompany me? I have found that the krogan are excellent trackers."

Grunt hesitated, glancing at Shepard briefly for confirmation before he followed Samara. Jack watched them go, licking her tongue in apprehension before she turned back to Shepard. Jane glared at her and let her arm go, pointing a finger at the young woman.

"If something happens to her," she growled. "I'm holding you personally responsible..."

**The End of Chapter 28**


	29. Chapter 29

_**AN: Thanks again to all who are reviewing! **_

**Headcount. **

**After she had killed the mercenaries, Asura had made a sweep of the house and the property – killing anybody that she found.** It was while she was doing this that she found her mother lying face down in their vegetable garden. She had been killed by a shot in the back, her body spilled over the fresh seedlings that they had just planted two days before. When she was sure that everybody was gone, Asura turned her over slowly, checked for a pulse and then carefully picked her up and carried her into the house. She laid her on the couch, her hands shaking as she took a pillow and put it under her mother's head. Then, she knelt there and prayed a silent message to the Goddess, asking her to keep her mother's spirit safe. Her words had felt empty and hollow – as if nobody was listening. Looking around her destroyed house, she felt lonelier than she had ever felt in her life.

She went back up the stairs and with a feeling of cold numbness carefully picked up her sister's body and carried it down the stairs to where her mother was. She didn't let Risha go, but held onto her as she sank down beside the couch – cradling her body in her lap. She was only twenty – not even a fraction of how old she could become. As Asura sat there she struggled to try and make sense of it all – to try and figure out _why_ someone would want to do this to her family.

_Did they find out about me? Was this a witch hunt? What? What? _

No answers came to her as the day slowly turned darker and night fell over the estate. Taking a deep breath, she hugged her sister's body to her own. She felt a pull on her arm as the dried blood shifted and looked down, only to look away again when she saw her sister's face. The urge to cry came and went but she couldn't find the tears to do the day's events justice.

_She had to do something._

Asura stood up carefully and put her sister's body on the floor beside the couch. It was already stiffening from death and it sickened her. She went outside to clear her head and to look out across the forest, thinking about their attackers. It dawned on her that she had to get out of there, that it was pure luck that they had not come back yet to finish the job. Or, maybe they _had_ come to do what they wanted to. Who knew?

Rubbing her face, Asura swallowed and went around the back of the house. She knew suddenly that she had to get out of there as quickly as possible. She could use the small shuttle they kept to travel to Omega and then from there... she didn't know. She knew though that first, she had to deal with her family's bodies.

She could not give them the funeral rights, or prepare them properly but she could bury them.

* * *

><p><strong>Abby sighed softly as she stared out at the forest around her.<strong> It was strange but, now that she had let Asura's memories run their course it was easier to distinguish herself from the asari in her mind. No longer did she feel as if she had seen her sister die, instead she felt like a witness, an observer to a tragic act. She still felt as if she wanted to cry, to mourn the loss of this young life but she did not feel as if the loss had taken over her life. It was strange but, she felt more like herself than she had ever since she came to this universe, like the woman who had sat in her kitchen with a cold cup of coffee.

And, she felt incredibly sorry for Asura. She didn't know how old the asari was but she knew that to live through that must've changed the woman beyond recognition. To live through the death of two family members...

Abby remembered the day her father left. They had been living in a caravan on a farmer's yard. Her father had been doing some work for the man but it was taking longer than usual. She was six at the time, old enough to remember her parents arguing. Her mother had told her father to pull himself together and finish the job so that they could move on; that he was wasting his time on what should've been a simple roof repair. Her father had not argued back but had just stood there in the cramped caravan staring at them. Abby remembered being a little afraid of him, because his moods had been terribly dark in the weeks before that. He left them without a word and was not seen again until three days later when a neighbouring farmer found him in his cornfield, hanging from a tree.

He had committed suicide and although it was doubtful how much he knew about his condition, it was clear to Abby that he had not seen any way out for himself except by his own hands.

She sighed again and allowed her eyes to settle on the mount in front of her. Asura had dug the grave by hand and had placed both bodies together. The asari hardly felt sane in those moments with her hands bleeding from the blisters her digging had caused. Abby ran her hand through the sparse grass that was starting to grow up the heap. The grave had to be at least a year old judging from the plant growth, if these plants grew as fast as those in her garden of course...

"Abby!"

She looked up to see Shepard running towards her, the woman's face tense and angry. For a moment Abby considered getting up before she reached her but then she figured that she might fall over and embarrass herself further. So, she waited for Jane to join her then motioned to the mount before the Commander could talk.

"She buried her here," she said simply. "Risha and her mother. I believe her mother's name was Saine. She was shot outside – in the garden. Risha was killed as well."

Shepard blinked at her, a look of frustration and anger crossing her features. "Abby, you shouldn't have moved off like that," she exclaimed. "You should've brought Jack or Grunt. Damn it woman, we don't know who or what is out here!"

Abby raised an eyebrow, then looked at the forest around her. It was still just as quiet as it had been when they came here. To the side she saw Jack coming towards them, followed closely by Samara and Grunt. None of them looked pleased – Jack in particular looked as if she could spit fire. Abby didn't know what to say to Shepard, wondering whether it was appropriate to defend herself or to apologise. She decided on neither and rather held up her hand, silently asking the Commander to help her up.

"Did you find anything in the house?" She queried when Jane hauled her onto her feet.

"We found a console," she said. "I've downloaded it onto my omni-tool. We'll go through it on the Normandy, we have to go."

Abby frowned and glanced at Samara when the other three joined them. "Did something happen?" she queried to which Jack cursed immediately. The petite woman started to say something but Shepard held up her hand, silencing her.

"No," she said shortly. "But, we have to go." She looked at the rest of her crew. "Let's move out." She put her hand on Abby's elbow and guided her forward – away from the grave. She then moved to the front but Jack quickly took her place, a look of pure hatred in her eyes which made Abby pause. She didn't get a chance to comment on it though as Shepard started moving the party forward at a brisk pace.

Abby had to trot to keep up with the group as they moved back towards the house. She looked at it as they rushed past and was relieved that she didn't have to go back in there. It was only when they were out of the forest that Abby realized with a touch of dread that they were going to have to go back into the Hammerhead again.

_Bloody vechile,_ she thought bitterly as it came into view. _That bloody thing was a nuisance even when..._

The Hammerhead blew up, the force of the blast knocking everybody except Grunt off of their feet. With her ears ringing – Abby could barely hear the string of curses that erupted from the crew members. Wondering whether it was going to be Banrio all over again, the vet instinctively crawled to safety as the others leapt to their feet and fanned out into cover. Jack grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her up, only to run with her a couple of steps and then push her down again.

"Joker!" Shepard snapped into her radio. "What the hell just happened?"

Abby almost laughed as Jack snapped. "Isn't it fucking obvious?"

Shepard ignored her and listened to her pilot's reply. "That's not good enough!" She snapped. "We have to..."

"Jane!" Samara interrupted her. "Enemies!"

From either side of the burning Hammerhead a group of mercenaries came at them through the smoke. Shepard cursed again and moved her group into a tighter circle around where Abby was hiding.

"Get into cover," she hissed her orders. "First chance we get we move to the house – we can hold our ground better there."

"Commander Shepard!"

Abby froze, her heart going cold when she recognised the voice. It was Jazek, the batarian who had been part of the team who had taken her on Banrio. She knew without a doubt why the mercenaries were here.

"Present!" Jane called back as if it was a roll call in school. Abby saw her changing her assault rifle for the massive anti-widow maker sniper rifle and took aim behind her tree – scanning the field in search of her target. As all the mercs wore helmets with no distinguishing markings, it was hard to determine who had spoken.

"Commander Shepard," Jazek said again. "I believe that you have something that belongs to us."

Abby closed her eyes and pressed her face against the tree.

"I think you are mistaken," Jane called back, still scanning the mercenaries who had stopped advancing but kept their weapons trained on them. "All of the minerals that we have, we mined ourselves. Or traded legally."

One of the mercenaries stood up straighter, his hand moving from his rifle for an instant before his pose mimicked the others again.

"Come now Commander," Jazek said with barely contained irritation. "You're outnumbered four to one – and we have already secured the house. What's more, there is no other location where your shuttle can land except in this area behind us. Just give us the woman and..."

Jane fired and the merc who had moved crumbled to the ground.

"I like that kind of odds," Jane said and motioned to Jack. "Take Abby and run! We'll cover you!"

Abby saw Jack's body flare up with her blue biotics as she threw a massive shockwave at the advancing mercenaries. It flung four of them into the air of which Jane picked out one with her sniper rifle even before he hit the ground. It made the other mercs, now leaderless, fan out to avoid being hit again.

"Go!" Jane snapped as she reloaded her monster gun. "Run Jack!"

Flinging another ball of _something_ into the direction of the mercs Jack pulled Abby up and pushed her out in front of her. "Weave!" She yelled as Abby blindly stumbled into a direction. "Weave and don't fucking stop!"

Abby bolted and was immediately rewarded by a slight sensation of impact as the first shot bounced off of her kinetic shield. It made her stumble but Jack was right behind her, steadying her with a quick hand.

"Go!" Jack yelled. "I think they were bluffing about the house!"

Abby wasn't so sure but she trusted Jack to make the right decision. She could hear Shepard barking orders over the radio at Samara and Grunt to position them so that they could provide sufficient cover. She stopped listening and focused all her attention on remaining upright with her precarious balance. They were almost at the house when she tripped for the first time, crashing down hard despite Jack's best efforts to keep her upright. They tumbled down in a heap, Abby's momentum pulling Jack off of her feet. The biotic cursed when they went down and started getting up again but Abby was faster in recovering this time and got to her feet quickly, pulling Jack up with her. She was about to start running again when Jack dove her off of her feet without warning, pulling her in behind a tree seconds before two shots hit the ground where they were.

"Fuck!" The convict yelled and leapt onto the radio. "Shepard! They weren't lying about the fucking house!"

"Damn it!" Abby heard Shepard curse. "I thought they were bluffing!" There was a loud crack as she fired her rifle. "We need a place where we can wait for reinforcements or somewhere where we can be picked up"

Jack didn't reply immediately as she fired her gun at the advancing mecs. Then, when she managed to get them closer together, she threw another shockwave at them. Abby watched them fall apart, their shields winking out of existence. Jack fired two shots at them with her pistol, then threw it into Abby's lap and grabbed her shotgun.

"Point and shoot!" She snapped. "Just point..."

Abby blinked at her and then at the gun. _Point and..._ "Shepard!" She activated called into her omni-tool's radio as she randomly fired at the mercenaries. She had no intention of killing any of them but she figured that if she could get their shields down then Jack would finish the job.

_Was that still murder?_

"Abby?" She could tell that Jane was confused by her appearance on the system. "What is it?"

Abby didn't reply immediately as she ducked into cover. Her shooting had provided the distraction that Jack needed and she had run in amongst the mercenaries, her fist a blazing. She crumbled their armour and threw them out of her way before she ran back to Abby.

"I know of a place where we can be picked up," Abby said quickly. "It's... There's no landing space, but there's a ravine which runs in between two strips of land. The shuttle can get in there, it's between the trees but I think the shuttle can make it! We can just hop over!"

There was silence on the other side of the line for as long as it took Shepard to fire a series of shots. Abby could hear them echo somewhere behind her, a testament that they were getting closer.

"How far is it?" Shepard asked which made Abby hesitate.

"I..." She had to think and tried to avoid looking at Jack who appeared very sceptical as she took her gun back. "A mile? Maybe two? No more than that."

"Are you sure Abby?" Shepard replied. "Remember, time's irrelevant in memories. We are nearing your position; it might be easier to take the house."

"Err..." Jack interrupted. "That's a big fucking negative Commander. We have to move Abby! There's more coming in! And they have a fucking Heavy Mech! We have to get out of here Shepard! How the fuck did they bring them in without us noticing?"

Abby didn't see the mercenaries that Jack was referring to immediately but she heard a loud mechanical whir that she remembered from her time playing the game. Her mouth went dry and she didn't let Jack ask her twice to get up. The petite woman started to pick a direction in which to run but Abby was quicker than she was and let her memories pull her in the direction of the ravine she was referring to. She had a vague idea where it was and figured that it couldn't be _that_ hard to miss a giant crack in the earth.

"I'll ask Joker if they can pick us up!" Shepard said quickly, her breathing a little different now as if she was running. "The scans we did of the terrain would be able to give us a decent idea of where we need to go! Joker?" The com link in their direction went dead but Abby didn't mind too much as it gave her more focus with which to pay attention to her running. Jack was moving right behind her, the woman's breathing fast and rhythmic. Abby instinctively shortened her strides a bit and ran slower to meet the smaller woman's pace. She allowed the woman's breathing to tell her how she was doing and she used her own to measure her own progress.

"Joker says they can do it!" Shepard returned. "They're prepping the shuttle now. Its two miles Abby, can you make it?"

For a brief moment, a wave of bitterness washed over the woman. _I used to do twenty,_ she thought as she replied. "Yes Commander, that's not far."

"Okay," Shepard replied. "You're heading in the right direction; just keep going as straight as you can! We're right behind you. Grunt! Take out that..." The line went dead. Abby trusted that it was because Shepard had closed the communication line and not because they had all suddenly been taken out by the Heavy Mech Jack identified. She and the convict ran on, weaving through the trees towards the ravine Abby now knew was there. She could almost forget that they were running away from mercenaries and pretend that it was on a cross country course.

Almost.

She was so wrapped up in her own rhythm that when Jack suddenly disappeared next to her she didn't register it immediately. It was the young woman's pained shout that stopped her. Abby blinked and tried to stop immediately but the change in pace made her loose her own balance and she tripped. She recovered quickly though, so used to falling that picking herself up had become second nature. When she looked back she saw Jack trying to get up, her face tight with pain as she clutched her one leg. Abby ran to her immediately and knelt down beside her.

"Fucking root," Jack was cursing between her heavy breathing. "Fucking forest. Fuck." She tried to get up but sat back immediately.

"What happened?" Abby asked trying to get her breath back. She reached out to touch Jack's leg but the woman slapped her hand away.

"Don't touch and help me up!" She snapped. "Come on!"

Abby complied quickly, slipping her hands under Jack's shoulders and pulling her up. The biotic tried to put her weight on the leg but hissed in pain immediately and leaned against Abby.

"Fucking sprained it I think," she hissed. "Can't put any fucking weight on it. Fuck!"

Alarmed, Abby looked behind her. There was no sign of Shepard or any of the mercenaries yet. "Come on!" She said and started to put Jack's arm around her shoulder. "We have to go!"

Jack pushed her away, growling as she turned in the direction from where they had come. "You go," she snapped. "I'll wait for Shepard, lay down cover."

Abby blinked at her and shook her head vehemently, thinking about the Heavy Mech. "Don't be a bloody arse," she said. "Come on, let me help you." She started to pull Jack towards her again but the young woman pushed her away and glared at her.

"What the fuck do you think you're gonna do?" Jack snapped, her face pale with pain as she tried to put weight on her leg. "You can't even fucking walk on your own! Now you want to fucking carry me? You can't do it!"

Abby stared at the young woman for a second, her heart beating in her chest and fear making her jittery. She closed her eyes then, with a growl seized the young woman by the shoulders. "I can bloody well try!" She snapped. "Damn you! I can try!" She remembered her mother, her brother, her partner and everybody else who had been telling her what she could and could not do in the past couple of years. Furious suddenly she practically yanked Jack's arm over her shoulder and started moving without warning the young woman, dragging her along as she tried to limp on her leg. They didn't get far when a series of shots impacted their shields.

Jack whirled around, hissing when she put her full weight on her leg. Despite that though, her body flared to life with her biotics as she harnessed her dark energy and threw it at a group of mercenaries that had come into their line of sight. Two FENRIS mechs ran at them from between the trees and Abby, who moved away from Jack, grabbed the woman's pistol and started firing at the mechanical attack hounds.

Jack had enveloped the mercs in a biotic pull field and was using it to bring them within range. Grinding her teeth together, the ex-convict grabbed her shotgun and fired at the mercs, her aim true and deadly. When she had shot all of them and Abby had managed to take out the two mechs, she dropped her gun and grabbed her knee, her face tight as she tried to remain upright.

Abby didn't think as she dropped the pistol and went down in front of Jack. "I'll carry you," she said. "We have to get moving Jack. It's not far." It felt like an age that she knelt there until finally, she heard Jack growl something under her breath and carefully shift onto her back, wrapping her arms around her neck. Feeling anxious suddenly, Abby wrapped her arms around the young woman's legs and shifted her into a more comfortable position. She strained to get up, her balance precariously with the new weight on her back. Despite Jack's petite form, she weighed more than Abby anticipated though the woman found herself thinking that if she had just bothered to take off her boots she might well weight half as much. She managed two steps before her leg suddenly buckled underneath her. She fell down, pitching Jack over her shoulder. The woman hit the ground with a grunt, biting her lip to keep herself from crying out as she hit her injured leg.

"Sorry," Abby said quickly and pulled Jack back onto her back. Having no other choice, the ex-convict wrapped her arms around her again, taking in a sharp breath when Abby pushed herself up and started moving forward. When she got her balance, Abby picked up the pace, half trotting, half loping in the direction of the ravine. She had to admire Jack because, for all the pain she must've been in, she didn't make a sound.

Abby managed to run a couple of yards, but soon found herself slowing down to a walk - her lungs screaming for air. She found her legs shaking and started to expect herself to go down when suddenly she heard something crashing through the undergrowth towards them. Jack cursed and tightened her grip on Abby as the vet bolted forward, only to stop when she heard a familiar voice.

"Stupid human, it's me!"

They turned to see Grunt storming up behind them. His armour was riddled with bullet holes which were oozing blood. None the less he grabbed Jack from Abby's shoulders and threw her over his own like a sack of potatoes.

"Shepard's right behind us!" he snapped. "And the shuttle's close! Go!"

When Abby didn't move immediately, staring at him with a sense of relief that made her light headed, he growled at her and gave her a push forward. "Go!" he snarled. "NOW!"

Forcing her muscles to start working, Abby pushed herself forward and started running again, her muscles burning but her pace considerably easier now that she wasn't carrying Jack. Soon, she found herself bolting at the fastest pace that she could manage with Grunt right behind her, his presence like a tank pushing her forward. Sooner than she expected, she saw the trees ahead of her suddenly thin out and there was a sound resembling a fighter plane as a shadow passed overhead. Abby pushed herself forward with renewed strength and sprinted the last couple of yards, breaking into the sunlight with a sense of elation as she saw the shuttle hovering near the ravine that had been imprinted into her memories. Its door opened, revealing Garrus and Tali who both stood at the side of the door, their weapons trained on the space behind their running crew members.

Abby was the first to reach the shuttle and tried to jump in, but it was too high for her and she didn't have the strength to pull herself up. Before she fell back to the ground though Garrus reached down smoothly, grabbed her by her shirt and hauled her into the shuttle. She remained where he dropped her, her breathing now ragged as she desperately gasped for air. Jack followed her shortly, tossed in by Grunt in an unceremonious fashion. Tali quickly pulled them both out of the way as the krogan leapt into the shuttle. He took up Tali's sentry, laying down cover with his massive Krogan shotgun as Shepard and Samara appeared from the forest as well. Samara was in front, running gracefully towards the shuttle with Shepard close on her heals. The Commander had spotted Garrus and was waving at something behind her. The turian gave the slightest of nods, dropped his head to take aim and fired his first shot as Tali hauled Jack up and strapped her down in one of the chairs. Abby couldn't move as the quarian grabbed her and strapped her in as well.

"Miranda!" Tali called. "They are almost here!"

"I can see that!" the ex-Cerberus officer snapped from the cockpit. "Come on Shepard!"

Garrus fired again and, although Abby couldn't see what he was shooting at she had no doubt that the remaining mercenaries were hot on Shepard's heels. Samara leapt into the shuttle unassisted, her face tight as she turned around and grabbed Shepard as she too leapt in.

"Go!" Everybody snapped together as the shuttle door closed, taking a spray of fire to the side. "Go Miranda go!"

She didn't need to be told twice as the shuttle swerved to the side and started speeding along the ravine, building up momentum before it finally turned and shot upwards towards the sky. Jane, who stumbled into the chair beside Abby, looked surprisingly happy as she did a quick head count to see that all of her people had made it off of the planet. It was only when Abby managed to lift up her head that she realized the woman had been shot, dark blood oozing from a wound in her shoulder. The pain didn't seem to affect her at all as she used her good hand to pat Abby on the knee.

"Well, I hope you got what you wanted," she said happily. "Because, we are _not_ going back."

**The End of Chapter 29**


	30. Chapter 30

**Statistical Analysis.**

**There were two kinds of people in the world. **Those who had the sense to react in the moment, who could think calmly under pressure and those who couldn't. Abby had always considered herself to be in the former group, which was partly why she enjoyed veterinary medicine so much. More often than not she found herself in an emergency situation where she had to think quickly or see another person's pet die. She had always thought that she would be very good with emergency medicine because she was able to think on her feet and was able to push aside her own panic.

The problem with this was that eventually, that panic caught up to her.

Sitting in the mess hall, waiting for Dr. Chakwas to finish with Grunt, Jack _and_ Shepard, Abby could barely lift her cup of coffee to her lips and the table in front of her was littered with sugar granules that she had spilled on her first attempt to get some in her cup. She held no illusions as to the reason for the tremor in her hands and she knew that it had nothing to do with her disease. With her adrenaline having worked its way out of her system, the full impact of what had happened on the planet hit her with full force. She knew that she was in shock and it took all her self-control not to bend forward and start crying like a child. Everything had happened so quickly on the planet that she didn't realize how scared she had truly been until it was all over. Anything could've gone wrong when she was carrying Jack. Anything...

She shivered when a hand touched her shoulder and looked up to see Kelly slip into the seat beside her. Her face was kind but calculating as she studied Abby. The vet swallowed and tried to muster a smile but it felt more like a pained grimaced. Giving up, she returned her gaze to her coffee and carefully wrapped her hands around it. The surface of the cup started rippling as it shook in her grip. Kelly carefully placed her hand over Abby's, forcing the woman to look at her.

"I heard you had it rough down there," she said. "I'm glad you've all made it back, it sounded as if it was quite a fight."

Abby swallowed and shook her head. "Shepard's hurt," she said. "And... Grunt's shot. And Jack's..." She closed her eyes, feeling a wave of guilt suddenly. "I'm the reason we went there. I shouldn't have listened..." She trailed off, realizing that she had almost confessed to meeting up with Asura again.

Kelly raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "It's nobody's fault," she said. "If anything, it's EDI's for not picking up the mercenaries! They had quite a force there. Are you alright? Have you seen Dr. Chakwas yet?"

It had been explained to Abby on their way back to the Normandy that she was going to have to report to the doctor for a 'post planet' check up but Chakwas had been so busy with the three patients who had come in injured that Abby thought it best to stay out of her way. She shook her head and carefully took a sip of coffee, the cup shaking in her hands but not so drastic that she spilled any of its contents. Kelly studied her and smiled reassuringly.

"You don't have to wait here," she said and glanced at the infirmary. "Chances are they might be busy for a while yet. Why don't you go to your room and lie down? Dr. Chakwas will call you."

Abby blinked at Kelly and made to comment but found that her throat was suddenly tight with tears. She closed her eyes and shook her head, dropping her head in shame.

"Kelly," she whispered softly. "I can't get up. Everything... I just can't get up."

Kelly smiled in understanding, not a hint of pity in her eyes as she rested her hand on Abby's shoulder. "Then we'll just wait here," she said softly. "You're just in shock, don't be too hard on yourself – this wasn't your fault."

Abby wished that she could agree with the yeoman as she swallowed and turned her attention back to her cup of coffee. The truth was that all of this was her fault. If she had not listened to Asura, they would never have come here and the others would not have gotten hurt. For all Abby knew, the asari herself had send the mercenaries after them. She had _lived_ on that planet, she must know where to hide or what to do to fool ships scanning the planet's security. It could well all be her fault. And, if one of Shepard's crew had died, it would've been on _her_ head. She couldn't begin to anticipate how the occurrences today would affect her relationship with the Normandy crew and she knew that somewhere out there, Asura was waiting for her. The woman had wanted her to go there for a reason and if she wasn't planning on ever seeing her again, then she wouldn't have bothered sending her to that planet in the first place.

* * *

><p>"<strong>Commander, I should remind you that your second lease on life is a onetime deal only,"<strong> Miranda said as she helped Jane slip her injured arm into a sling. "We're not with Cerberus anymore."

Jane grinned at her and shrugged, hopping off of the bed so that she could go to where Dr. Chakwas was trying to dig the last of the shrapnel from Grunt's armour out of his chest. The krogan had taken quite a serious hit from the Heavy Mech they took down and Jane had send him to find Jack and Abby immediately rather than risk him taking another. The fact that he had more lead in him than the average gun was a testament to the resilience of the species.

"If you wanted to give me a continuous second lease Miranda," she said with a smile, "you should've given me krogan physiology. How you holding up Grunt?"

The krogan's lip twitched as he glanced down at Dr. Chakwas. "It stings," he commented, but remained sitting very still. From the other side of the infirmary Jack snorted, looking up from where she was lying with her knee in a make shift splint. Dr. Chakwas had given her some pain medication but had decided to first turn her attention to Grunt before his body's natural regeneration closed all the wounds before she could disinfect them and take out the pieces of metal still lodged there. Jane smiled at the krogan and carefully patted his back before she went over to where Jack was, smiling down on the ex-convict as she glared at the world in general.

"I'm as high as a fucking kite Shepard," Jack commented before the commander could say anything. "What the fuck's wrong with your medicine Doc?"

Dr. Chakwas raised an eyebrow and spared Jack a glance. "Considering that you have not graced me with your presence often," the older woman began. "I will presume that you don't know of my rules and kindly inform you that I do not tolerate such language in my infirmary." She glanced at Shepard as Jack mouthed. _"Well fuck me." _

"You can thank the Commander," Chakwas continued. "Illium's prices were too high for the higher grade medicine so I had to make do with what was available." She gave Jane a sideways glance. "It might be worth stopping by Omega's black markets. They used to be quite reasonable."

Shepard snorted and shrugged. "I'm not going to ask how a seasoned and _honest_ Alliance soldier such as yourself would know that," she pointed out. "Are you alright Jack?"

The convict's mouth thinned as she seemed to swallow back another curse. "I'm f... Fine," she strained. "Just tripped over my own feet. Stupid fucking... I'm sorry. It was stupid of me." Her eyes turned to the world outside the infirmary as she watched Kelly sit down beside the very pale vet and, after talking to her for a bit, put an arm around her.

"She came back for me." Shepard turned her gaze away from the window to look at Jack again. The convict wasn't looking at her, her gaze still fixed on the pair outside.

"Tell me what happened," Jane said.

Jack sighed, her mouth pulling as if she had bitten something bitter. "I fell," she said shortly. "And _she_ turned around and came back for me. I told her to go, that I'd wait for you but she insisted on carrying me. I didn't think that she could, but she did. End of story."

She turned her face away from Shepard and stared at the wall. Finding herself smiling, Shepard turned back to Miranda who was still studying her. She could sense that the woman was concerned; she was always whenever Shepard took a little bit more fire than her armour could handle. She didn't quite understand it but Miranda felt personally responsible for her well being, something that probably came with her years of working on the Lazarus Project. Jane had learned to deal with it but she had to be honest to herself when she acknowledged that she didn't like it in the beginning. It was easier to deal with now that they had broken away from Cerberus but in the beginning, she had felt as if she was some expensive piece of equipment that had to be maintained and that Miranda was the head mechanic.

She still acted like it, but Shepard was willing to believe that it came from real concern now, rather than professional interest. As if sensing her thoughts, Miranda sniffed and crossed her arms at her end of the room.

"Shepard, I know you think you're super woman," she said coldly. "But, I think that you should go and lie down. Just... Get some rest – the briefing can wait. You guys had a tough fight down there."

Jane smiled at her briefly and glanced at Dr. Chakwas who had paused in her working with Grunt to give Shepard a curt nod, telling her in no uncertain terms that she agreed. Jane nodded at both of them but she wasn't ready to go to her cabin yet.

"I first want to go to Joker," she said. "I want to find out what happened down there, why didn't anybody see that attack coming?"

Miranda hesitated then nodded grudgingly. "I've told EDI to run a diagnostic on the data that she gathered from the planet's surface and do a troubleshoot on her own program. I swear Shepard, I was monitoring you the whole time and it was just as big a surprise for me when that Hammerhead blew up as it was to you."

"Would this be an appropriate time," Jack intoned from her side of the infirmary, "to shout out happily: Hooray!"

Both the other women ignored her as Jane shook her head and motioned to Miranda to follow her. "I have to say Miranda," she said as they left the infirmary. "I don't think you guys were quite as blown away as we were."

* * *

><p>"<strong>Commander, it seems that their ships were masked with some sort of signature that we couldn't pick up<strong>," Joker said. "It bounced our own signal back at us which didn't register on our system as anything other than a junk echo which you sometimes experience in space. It was only when we ran a system's diagnostic that we picked it up. I've never encountered it before."

Shepard frowned as she stared at the data one of the ensigns had given her when she came onto the deck. She had not bothered reading it, knowing that she would be able to get a good explanation from both EDI and Joker. She wasn't exactly mad at them for missing the mercenaries, but she wanted to get to the bottom of it to avoid it happening again.

She glanced at Miranda to see if she had ever heard of such a thing but her XO shook her head ever so slightly and turned to EDI's avatar. "Who uses such technology?" she asked the AI who, to Shepard's surprise, didn't reply immediately.

"I am unable to process that data," the AI said, sounding a little embarrassed. "We do not have any records in the Normandy's logs of something like that being used."

Miranda frowned at her, her brow tight with impatience. Although she rarely showed it, Shepard knew that she could get very frustrated when things didn't work efficiently. "Well, ours isn't the only frame of reference that we have EDI," she pointed out. "We have scores of data bases..."

"Cerberus has blocked me from their network Miranda," EDI interrupted her, that hint of emotion once again creeping into the mechanical voice. "I have been unable to access to their servers ever since we've returned from the Omega-4-Relay. The only information that I have access to is that which has been uploaded onto the Normandy and those of the extranet. I've searched, but I can't find any mention of such stealth techniques ever being used."

Miranda made to argue but Shepard held up her good hand and turned to the AI. "That's alright EDI," she said. "I trust that the block goes both ways? I would hate for the Illusive Man to be spying on us."

"Of course Commander," the AI said smoothly. "I've reassured you of this before."

Jane wasn't discouraged as she shrugged and glanced at Miranda to make sure that the woman was going to hold her tongue. "It's always good to check in," she said. "The status quo can change. If you had to guess, who would you say would be able to use this technology. Look at a history of crimes and space assaults. Would it be the batarians? The turians? The Blue Suns?"

EDI paused then said simply. "I cannot say Commander. I do not have sufficient data..."

"Guess," Jane insisted. "Come on EDI, you can think and process. Who do you think..."

"I can only analyse Jane," this time, it was clear that the AI had snapped at Shepard. "It is not within my parameters to guess." The AI's frustration was clear this time, leaving the bridge in an awkward silence.

Jane cleared her throat and fiddled with her sling though she kept her face neutral. "Then analyse today's data," she said. "Formulate possibilities and analyse their statistical significance. Joker will help you come up with theories of who could possibly be linked to this. I don't want to be caught with my pants down again EDI. We have to figure out who is behind this."

"We'll do that Commander," Joker replied quickly before EDI could say anything else, his hand briefly touching EDI's console. "I'll start working on scenarios. What did you learn down on the planet?"

Jane's mouth thinned as she shrugged, winching suddenly when she realized that her shoulder was starting to throb. "We'll see as soon as we've analysed the data that we collected there."

EDI became animated again, her voice neutral now and not showing a hint of the emotion that had previously been present. "What time will the debriefing be?" she said. "So that I can inform the crew? Who would you like to be present?"

Jane shrugged again and turned away from the bridge, walking to the elevator with Miranda. "Samara, Abby, Miranda and myself," she said. "Nobody else is needed. We'll debrief within the hour..."

"Amend that EDI," Miranda interjected. "The Commander will first be going to her cabin. You have to lie down Shepard, you're as pale as a sheet."

Jane wanted to argue but then realized that she didn't have the energy for it. With Miranda you had to choose your battles carefully and she didn't feel it necessary to fight this one out. If the woman wanted her to rest, she'd do so.

"Inform Samara and Abby then that they can get some rest first. We'll do so first thing in the morning." By the ship's time standard, they were already well into the evening. When they reached the elevator, Miranda didn't hesitate to press the button for Shepard's cabin and rode up with her in silence. It was only when they reached the entry of the captain's cabin that she spoke again, pressing a button on her omni-tool.

"You were very hard on EDI back there," she said for no particular reason. "Remember Shepard, she's not a person. She has protocols and processes which she can run, but she can't think, she can't guess. It's like asking a rock to dream."

Shepard frowned at Miranda and leaned against her doorway, giving the woman a sceptical look. "I hope she's not listening," she pointed out. "I don't take kindly to members of my crew discussing other members in such a fashion."

Miranda gave her a look. "I've blocked her sensors here," she said. "Just until this conversation is over. She is not a person Shepard, she is still an AI."

Jane could tell that it vexed the woman when she smiled at her ever so slightly. "Yet you refer to her as a she," she pointed out. "Where even Legion is... Legion. Trust me Miranda – I distrust artificial intelligence as much as the next person. I feel that some things should not be tinkered with. But she's here, and she's a member of this crew. Just as much as you are. She might not be a person, but it won't hurt to treat her like one. I want my crew to evolve, to think outside the boxes that they place themselves in. It doesn't mean that I always trust her, but it means that I treat her with the same respect that I do everybody else on my team."

When Miranda didn't answer, Shepard motioned to her omni-tool. "Switch that off," she said. "We're being rude..." She waited while Miranda grudgingly called up the controls that she had done previously. She nodded at Jane when it was done and waited for the woman to say something else.

"I'm going to give you the data I collected on the planet," Shepard said and produced a data chip from her pocket. "I downloaded it onto here while you were busy with me in the infirmary. If you have time, run through it – see what you can find. I don't think that Abby's memories are going to tell us much, so we need to find more or at least some data which we can use to prompt her with to get more details."

"Do you think she'll co-operate?" Miranda queried, to which Shepard shrugged.

"I see no reason why she won't," she said. "She's in this deep. That planet really affected her; I don't think she knows another way out other than to share everything with us. Something happened down there Miranda, something terrible. As a Spectre, I can't help but feel that it's my duty to investigate it. If the mercenaries have gone rogue then I want to know about it."

Miranda smiled as she took the disk from her Commander. "It's not council business," she pointed out tartly to which Shepard grinned.

"No," she said smoothly. "It's my own now."

**The End of Chapter 30**


	31. Chapter 31

_**AN: I see some people are gearing up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). As it is an interesting concept, I'm going to measure my words this month and see how many I'm writing (and how many I can do well...). Hopefully this will mean that I'll post chapters again at the same pace I did when I started this. To those competing, good luck – I hear it's a lot of fun. **_

**The Debriefing.**

**Samara pressed herself against the tree, breathing deeply as she calmed herself and waited for her shield to regenerate.** Bits of wood and tree sap hit her face as the mercenaries advanced towards her, knowing that she was vulnerable. Taking a deep breath, Samara embraced her biotics and tried to bend around the tree to hurl it at the mercenaries but their well aimed shots quickly made her turn back into cover.

She was stuck.

Without thinking, she turned her gaze to the other person with her, to the red headed human who had taken possession of her mind. She didn't need to call out to help, didn't need to say anything. Shepard just _knew._ Stuck behind a tree herself, she had just send away Grunt to find Abby and Jack though the decision had come too early as, directly after the Heavy Mech fell, another wave of mercenaries were upon them. With Grunt gone, it was considerably more difficult holding them back.

When Shepard met her gaze though, she immediately regretted turning to the woman. Closing her eyes, Shepard took a deep breath and stepped out from behind her tree, sprinting to another a little bit more to the side. The mercenaries saw her move, but didn't turn their direction immediately. Shepard's shields were still functional and they were closer to Samara. But then Shepard stepped out from the tree again, her red hair catching the sun like fire. She looked like a goddess, the massive sniper rifle held against her shoulder like a deadly limb that she could wield with the precision of a master surgeon. She aimed and fired, hitting one of the mercenaries full in the face. He crumbled, alerting his companions. As Shepard reloaded the sniper rifle, they turned to her and started firing. Instead of moving out of range, she remained where she was, allowing her kinetic barrier to take the fire.

"Shepard no!" Samara cried out as her own shield sprang back up around her. "Take cover." Her words barely left her mouth when Shepard aimed again and fired. Another mercenary fell down, his body falling back against one of his squad mates. Samara didn't bother with her weapon as she used her biotics to wrap the advancing squad in a field. One of them was a human vanguard who managed to resist her field, throwing his own against her. It didn't release his friends but she lost control of him and he crumbled to the floor. Instead of firing at her, he turned his attention to Shepard, who was reloading her gun, and fired on her. One bullet bounced off of her shield, but then she staggered backward, her one knee buckling underneath her. Samara didn't wait to see if she fell but heard herself cry out as she hurled the mercenaries away from them. She grabbed her pistol and started firing on the vanguard. He turned away from Shepard and hurled a force field at her which made her stagger. It gave him enough time to bring up a biotic barrier and focus his fire on her. Samara continued firing at him, throwing a biotic pulse at him which he barely managed to deflect. He tried to recover but even before she could finish him off there a loud shot and he crumbled to the ground – his head blown away. Jane had moved right up to him and fired the gun from less than a yard away. The bullet had gone straight through the barrier.

Samara had never been as happy to see anybody standing as she was in that moment.

"Jane," Samara began but to her surprise, despite the blood which started seeping from her shoulder, Jane grinned at her – her eyes bright.

"Bloody thing's so hard to reload with one arm," she said. "I'd have had him sooner..."

For a few seconds it was as if they weren't in the middle of a fight at all. Samara stepped up to Shepard, her hand instinctively reaching out to touch her shoulder.

"He shot you," she said, feeling numb then horrified when Shepard shrugged with one shoulder.

"Tis but a scratch," she said in a funny accent then sobered up a little. "My body's not normal anymore Samara, I don't register pain. Not as I used to – depending on where the hit was and what Cerberus did to that part of my body. Now, we have to go..." Her omni-tool beeped...

* * *

><p><strong>The beeping became insistent, dragging Samara away from her thoughts.<strong> She released her biotics, but didn't reply immediately to EDI's summons. The AI must've realised that she was finally listening because she continued to speak regardless of whether Samara spoke to her or not.

"Justicar, my apologies for interrupting but Commander Shepard said that I should call you, they are all waiting for you in the briefing room."

Samara blinked and pushed herself up. She had thought that she would only meditate for a short while but it seemed that she had lost track of time.

"Thank you EDI," she said simply but didn't turn around immediately, staring at the stars in front of her. The image of Shepard bleeding came and went from her memory.

"Samara," EDI said softly. "Are you alright?"

Surprised by the AI's concern, Samara turned around and nodded smoothly. "Yes," she said. "Tell the Commander I'll be there immediately. Is Abby there?"

"Yes," the AI said shortly as Samara opened her door and went to the elevator. It opened before she could go in, probably EDI's doing. Samara nodded and allowed the AI to take her up to the second level. She got out and nodded at Kelly who turned (as was her habit) to see who was coming up. She smiled at Samara who, despite her mood, returned the gesture. She liked the young woman, who had more compassion in her than everybody on the ship combined. She held no bias towards any race which was an enlightening attitude for someone associated with Cerberus.

Samara followed the route through the tech lab to the briefing room, nodding at Mordin as she walked past. He was humming to himself, standing behind his one desk as he reviewed what looked like a Krogan model. He returned the gesture, barely, his attention focused on his work. She left him and ventured into the corridor between the Tech Lab and the Armoury. The briefing room was open so she gathered herself and stepped inside smoothly. She saw Shepard and Miranda first - standing at the edge of the table. The briefing room still looked a little worse for wear after their narrow escape from the collector base, but most of the rewiring had been done. She didn't notice Abby until she sensed someone looking at her and turned to find the vet in the corner by the door. She looked as if she had aged over night, her face tight with exhaustion and her eyes darker than usual. Samara noticed the faint white streaks in her hair. They must always have been there, but it was the first time she took note of them. Gray, the humans called it – a strange phenomena that happened to their hair as they grew older. When Abby's dark eyes shifted to Shepard, Samara turned to her as well, inclining her head in the Commander's direction. She still had her arm in a sling, though she looked much better than she did the night before.

"I'm sorry for being late Commander," she said simply. "I lost track of time."

Shepard frowned slightly though it was in concern, not disapproval. "It's alright," she said. "Thank you for being here Samara." She fiddled with her sling and turned to Abby. "Are you ready to begin?"

The vet nodded, but didn't say anything and it was only after some consideration that she stepped forward to the table. Miranda watched her and brought up the video screen. "I'll show you what I've found," she said. "I've analysed the security data and have discovered when this event occurred. The security system recorded the whole thing..." She hesitated and glanced at Abby who crossed her arms in front of her chest, deliberately looking away from the screen even though there was nothing displayed on it. "It is unpleasant," Miranda continued. "A group of unidentified mercenaries attacked the house, killing two members of the asari family and the staff that worked there. I found mention of eight household servants and they are all either killed in the footage, or unaccounted for. This I believe," the video came to life, showing the picture of a bewildered asari, the whites of her eyes clear as she turned towards the camera, "is the Ardat Yakshi." Miranda turned to Abby for conformation.

The vet stared at the picture for several moments, her arms tight around her chest, before she took a steadying breath and visibly forced herself to relax. "Yes," she said simply and stepped forward so that she could brace herself against the table. "It is Asura." There was an undertone of regret in her voice, the same regret that she had shown the first time she told Samara the woman's name. It was as if the Ardat Yakshi still had some measure of control over her, as if she still had to force herself to give up the asari's identity. It troubled Samara, though she also realized that Abby had already shown that she could best the Asura's control over her.

Miranda nodded and turned back to Shepard. "It happed about a year ago. The fighting is brutal Shepard, apart from the house staff on record I saw two other Asari being killed. A woman who got killed in the garden and a young maiden." She called up the image of two asari rushing up the stairs, Asura pulling the much younger Risha with her up the stairs. Again, she turned to Abby who was frowning at the picture.

"That's Risha," she said, her voice giving away no emotion even though she reached out to touch the image with her hand. "They were warned of the attackers and went up the stairs before mercenaries came into the house. I think the other asari, her mother – was already dead by this time. They hid there but Asura realized that the mercenaries would come up and corner them so she told Risha to stay there and..." She closed her eyes. "Wait for her." She carried on without being prompted by any of the others. "Asura went out and killed as many as she could. If you don't mind, I don't want to be present when you watch the security footage." When Shepard shook her head slightly, Abby continued. "Asura killed them all, then realized that some men had managed to break through the window in her bedroom where Risha was hiding. She went up where they tried to force her to cooperate with them." She frowned suddenly. "Unlike with everybody else, they didn't try to kill her immediately."

Shepard caught onto what she was saying. "So you think that they were there for Asura?" she queried to which Abby shrugged.

"It's hard to say Commander," she said softly. "My memories are subjective. It's hard to look in on them with any semblance of objectivity."She sighed and rubbed her brow. "I can say that there might've been any moment in the fighting where the mercenaries might've killed her, but she left with hardly a scratch. So, if I had to guess I'd say that yes, they were there for her. She didn't think about it. Not that way."

Samara frowned at the image, thinking that by her guess Asura looked to be almost four hundred where as Risha was definitively less than forty years old. "How did the child die?" she queried.

Abby grimaced and shook her head as if she was trying to shake the image from her mind. "She tried to help her sister or maybe panicked when they took Asura. She tried to fight them and got shot in the process." Goosebumps, another quaint human habit, appeared on Abby's arms and neck. "Asura went berserk after that. She was angry, insane. Alive." She turned to look at Samara. "Those feelings are the strongest in my mind. She was using her power to kill people, not just to tear them apart but to... to..." She couldn't find the words. "She _liked_ it and she hated herself for doing so. When... when everything was done, she buried her mother and her sister and then she left the planet." Her eyes turned back to the image of the two asari.

The room was silent for a very long time. Miranda's mouth was thin as she looked at the screen. "I'm going to venture a guess here," she said, thinking fast. "But if you have to ask me, I'd say that she's out there killing everybody who was responsible for this. I know I would be if someone killed my sister." She turned to Shepard. "The deaths Dr. T'soni found that could be related to an Ardat Yakshi were very specifically people associated with fractions within the Blue Suns and Eclipse gangs and the leaders themselves." Her eyes burned brightly as she turned to Samara. "This is revenge. I say leave her and let this matter go. Let her do what she needs to do."

Samara frowned at Miranda and shook her head slightly. "You cannot take it in your own hands to distribute justice," she said. "It's not up to one individual to decide what the course of justice must be."

Shepard shifted but Miranda responded first. "Isn't that what the Justicars do?" she queried, her voice cold.

Samara didn't respond in kind, rather choosing to remain calm in face of the woman's disapproval. She understood Miranda's argument, but it was wrong. "I follow a code devised by my people over many generations," she said. "That is millennia in your years. I am not bound by my own judgement like a Spectre. I serve a higher cause than my own personal vendettas."

Miranda wasn't finished as she shook her head, her raven coloured hair falling over her face. "Yes but what about..." She started but Shepard quickly interrupted her, stepping to her side and putting her good hand on her arm.

"Miranda no," she said sharply. "Samara please." She turned to Abby who had stepped back to the corner looking haunted and awkward. "Abby, is there anything else that you can tell us?"

Moving her eyes from one biotic to the other she shook her head. "You'll be the first to know if I can remember anything else."

Shepard nodded, her eyes not leaving Abby's. "Okay," she said. "Why don't you go and rest Abby? Get a decent meal, Dr. Chakwas let me know that you have not yet had breakfast."

Something burned suddenly behind Abby's eyes at the clear dismissal. She straightened up and started to say something but one look from Shepard, one _pleading_ look at her to leave the room, made her pause. With her mouth thin, she nodded tightly and left the room without a word. The three women watched her leave, then turned to each other. Shepard's eyes were bright when they met Samara's as she walked to the briefing room door to close it.

"Regardless of our opinions," she said and turned back to them when she was done. "We have to find this asari. We have to hear her side of the story not Abby's, and we have to find out which mercenary group is responsible for this and why they did it. You said a year Miranda? That means she's been hunted for a year. They were looking for Asura on Banrio – not Abby and I can bet you this ship that they wanted Abby today because they know Asura's somehow connected to her and looking for her."

"We don't know that for sure Shepard," Samara said quickly but Jane shook her head.

"The mercenaries won't ask an information broker for intelligence," she said. "They have their own networks. It had to be an outside source and the only person who knew about her before that, to our knowledge I have to add, is Asura. She's looking for her. She might even have found her when we were in Illium."

Miranda frowned. "Why?" she queried but it was Samara who answered, not Shepard.

"Because she survived," Samara said simply. "After a year of killing, Asura found someone who can survive her touch. I've said this before, that's a very valuable thing to an Ardat Yakshi. Something unique. That's why she's looking for her if only to make contact again." She looked to Shepard and she could tell immediately that the woman knew where she was going with her train of thought. She had to; they had done it once before...

"If we want to come close to this Asura, we're going to have to use Abby as bait."

Shepard nodded but Miranda frowned at the two of them. "How?" she queried. "How are we going to come in contact with her? I mean, she could be anywhere."

"Easy," Shepard said though she didn't look too happy about what she was going to say next. "We tell Liara to send through our information. She's been withholding it for now but I'll send this through to her immediately. We can choose the time and the place. Omega's the closest but if you think we should do it somewhere else..."

"No," Samara said simply. "Omega would be good. Fitting." She thought of her daughter and spared a silent prayer to Asura's dead mother, wondering how the woman had dealt with the knowledge of what her daughter was. Was that why there was such a large age gap between the two of them? "Show me a picture of the mother again, if you have one on file."

Miranda didn't look at her, but turned to the console and showed a close up of an asari leaving the house before the fighting started. Samara went to the screen and studied her closely. "This is not Raile Dushkriti," she pointed out. "I'm going to guess and say that Raile was the father." She thought for a moment. "I'm not one hundred percent sure of this, but it could be that her retirement from politics could coincide with the time that Asura might've reached sexual maturity. That's when the Ardat Yakshi trait manifests itself. At first melding." Her mouth thinned. "She might've retired from politics to try and cover it up." She turned to Shepard. "But now I'm really just guessing."

Shepard nodded and motioned to Miranda. "I'd like a copy of that send to my cabin please," she said. "I'll review it there. I'll also send Liara a message, telling her what she can send to this _client _of hers."

"If you think it wise," Miranda said carefully. "I'd also suggest you give her the data on those energy signatures – or lack thereof, that the mercenaries had. Maybe she's come across something like that before."

The Commander didn't look happy but nodded, her gaze once again travelling to Samara's face. "She might," she agreed. "So, are we all in agreement as to what we're going to do next?"

Miranda sighed and shrugged. "Well, I don't know how wise it is to use Abby as bait," she pointed out. "We still don' t know how far we can trust her Commander. It's very easy for a trap to become a trap. But, yes, don't look at me like that. I don't see Abby betraying us. From what I know about Ardat Yakshi though, I'm just scared that she might not know what she's doing. If we do use her to lure Asura to us, then I don't think we should tell her of the plan."

Shepard shook her head, clearly not worried. "I don't see any reason why Asura wants something to do with us," she said. "Abby's the only one in danger here. And trust me, she's good Miranda. If she was in this for her own gain, she could've left Jack out there – but she didn't." She fiddled with her sling and spared Samara a glance. "I'm going to tell Joker to set a course for Omega. I believe we're done here."

Miranda nodded which, in a way, reminded Samara more of a salute than a nod. The dark haired woman left the briefing room without being dismissed, but then they all knew the conversation had run its course. It was only when she left that Samara suddenly realized that she and Shepard were alone for the first time since their conversation in the elevator.

_We'll keep it professional,_ Jane had told her then.

Right.

Samara hesitated and motioned to Jane's shoulder. "How are you feeling... Commander?"

Jane raised an eyebrow at the title and shrugged with one shoulder. "I'm fine," she said. "Really, it was nothing but a flesh wound."

Samara grimaced, thinking back to the planet. "Commander," she said slowly – though she wished that she could've just called the woman on her name. "Thank you for doing what you did back there. If you hadn't distracted the mercenaries, they might've killed me."

Jane smiled at her, sadly and made a dismissive gesture. "It's nothing... Justicar," she said. "I'd have done so for any of my crew. You know that. You... are all very dear to me. You are my family." They stared at each other for a long time, unable to think of anything else to say, unable to move away.

It was only when EDI came up, her presence breaking the tension between them, that Samara took a breath again, realizing that she had been holding it for a while.

"Commander," the AI said monotonously. "Joker wants to know where we are heading from here."

Shepard looked from EDI's avatar to Samara, her mouth thinning ever so slightly. "Tell him I'm on my way," she said and inclined her head at Samara. "If you'll excuse me." She left without a word, leaving Samara to stare in her wake. It was only when Samara was sure that she was out that she rested her hand on the briefing room table and leaned against it for support. The AI's avatar was still visible, as if she was looking at her.

"EDI," she said softly, "if you did that as a distraction. Thank you."

The AI didn't respond immediately, but remained where she was - an artificial image fixed in one place.

"It is not in my coding function to be a distraction," she said in a non-committal fashion. "But, you are welcome Samara..."

**The End of Chapter 31**


	32. Chapter 32

_**AN: Not much to say on this one, only thank you for all the great reviews. **_

**Approaching Omega**

**Samara didn't go to Starboard Observation immediately, but detoured to the mess hall to get herself a cup of coffee. **She enjoyed the human drink, having first tasted it on the Normandy, though she soon found that it affected her severely when she wanted to meditate. Not in the mood to be alone with her own thoughts and memories she decided that having a cup might not be a bad idea. She was surprised to find Abby sitting at the table, a bowl of what looked like egg and noodles in front of her. She was picking at it, her face twisted in a slight frown and her dark eyes unfocused as she stared into nothingness. Thinking about it, Samara realized that it was the first time she has seen the woman alone without either Kelly or Kasumi flanking her. She could not help but feel that it was an opportunity not to be missed.

She went to stand beside the vet who immediately looked up and met her gaze. She hesitated when she saw that it was Samara but gave the asari a polite smile and turned her attention back to her breakfast. Samara, who had become marginally better at starting small talk since her arrival on the Normandy, leaned against the table and gave Abby a curious look.

"You normally take breakfast in your room," she said, then realized that a statement didn't lend itself to open conversation. Questions were better. "Why? Are you alright?"

Abby looked up with a frown, studying her as she shrugged. "I'm fine," her response was almost as automated as an AI's. "Kasumi's having a talk with Jacob. She said that he was going to come and help her with a broken bulb and the door's still locked so..." She grimaced and shrugged. "She thought the meeting would be longer I suspect." She poked at her food with her fork but didn't take a bite.

Samara studied her for a moment, immediately seeing some evidence that she had spilled some of her breakfast on the table. Realizing suddenly why the woman wasn't eating, she found herself smiling kindly and motioned to her room.

"Would you like to join me?" she queried, clearly to the woman's surprise. "I find it hard to eat here sometimes because there are always people walking around. And," she said with a laugh, "when I'm given something to eat which I don't understand, I can figure out how to ingest it in the privacy of my own chambers." She wondered whether Abby would accept the invite. The woman had been very consistent in the way she had been avoiding her. This time though it seemed that either hunger or her desperation to get out of the public eye of the crew, made her slowly nod her head.

"That would be generous Samara," she said. "Thank you." She pushed herself up carefully, found her balance and then picked up the bowl with both hands, hugging it to her chest in an attempt to stop herself from dropping it. Samara saw it as her cue to leave and walked in front of her to her room. Samara opened the door for Abby and motioned her inside; studying her hunched body language as she slipped into the room and took one of the chairs near the book cases.

"You seemed angry when you left the briefing room," Samara pointed out as she saw Abby carefully balance her bowl on her lap whilst staring out at the stars through the window of the observation deck. "Did we say something to insult you?"

Abby blinked at her and sighed, this time venturing to try and bring some of the noodles to her mouth. Her hand was shaking, but she managed to keep herself from spilling any. "No Justicar," she said when she finished chewing. "I felt..." She hesitated and shrugged embarrassed. "It was the way Shepard dismissed me. I realize that she was in a tense situation there and that she was trying to get me out of the briefing room so that she could talk to the two of you... But it felt condescending."

Taking a sip of coffee, Samara raised her brow. "I can assure you she didn't mean it that way," Samara said. "Commander Shepard has got nothing but respect for you I'm sure."

Abby smiled slightly and nodded, venturing another bite of food. This time, the noodles fell from her fork. She grimaced and set the fork down, turning back to Samara.

"And I respect her," she said. "It's my own personal insecurities and issues Samara, that's why I'd ask that you don't mention it." She fell silent again, staring at her food.

Samara studied her for a long time, taking in her tired features, the gray hair that she had just discovered and the woman's long, delicate hands which never stood still. She thought of her daughter suddenly, who was also had to carry the fate of a genetic disease her mother had unknowingly given to her. She felt her heart ache as she realized that Abby and Morinth, more so than Morinth and this Asura, were a lot alike.

"Dr. Gable," she said adding the title without thinking. "May I ask you a personal question?"

Abby's features became guarded but also puzzled as she turned to her. She put down her breakfast and pulled her legs up onto the chair. "Please Justicar," she said. "You of all people don't have to call me by my title. You can ask."

Samara nodded and asked the first question that came to mind. "When you learned of your disease, did you hate the parent that gave it to you?"

The veterinarian's hands twitched where she had put them over her knees as she frowned and turned her gaze away from Samara. She considered her reply before she turned her gaze back so that she could meet the asari's.

"Hate is a very strong word," she said softly. "I don't think I've hated anybody." She sighed and grimaced. "My father committed suicide when I was still very young. When I learned of my disease, my family realized that this was probably at the core of his decision to take his own life. There were a lot of emotions flying around during that time. Shock, empathy and pity. Fear, because everybody - including my brother's children - had to be tested. I wasn't angry initially because when they tell you, it doesn't sink in. You sit there and listen how it's explained that your life is about to be destroyed, but you don't realize the direct consequences." She coughed and looked away from Samara. "I was angry at my father all through my childhood for leaving us and, finally – when I could sit down and think about this condition, I was angry at him for not sticking around. I kept thinking that – if he had not committed suicide then maybe I could've known about myself earlier. Then I could've gotten into an experimental drug program before my symptoms manifested and maybe, _maybe_ have a few more years..." She trailed of as she turned to look back to Samara. The Justicar was surprised by the empathy she saw in the vet's gaze as if she understood the core of Samara's question. "But, I never blamed my father, I realized that he was as much a victim of this as I am. Now I understand why he did what he did," she sighed. "And, I admire him for it. But, my situation is not the same as..." She blinked suddenly and grew quiet, looking at Samara.

The Justicar frowned at her and sat forward. "The same as?"

Abby hesitated and dropped her head, shrugging silently.

"The same as with my daughter?" Samara finished the sentence for her. "Who told you Abby?"

The vet shrugged uncomfortably and carefully picked up her breakfast again. "I've heard... I mean... Kasumi knows," she seemed relieved that she had thought of the answer. "She and Kelly were discussing it... but not... I mean, they weren't discussing _you_. They were just discussing the Ardat Yakshi situation and how you'll know all about it..."

"Abby," Samara interrupted her. "Are you lying to me?"

The vet closed her mouth and shook her head but her dark eyes never left Samara's as if she was trying to anticipate the Justicar's next move. Samara had seen it many times when people were trying to lie themselves out of a corner. Standing up from where she had sat down near the window, Samara moved closer to Abby. The vet clutched her bowl but then she took a steadying breath and allowed a look of clinical detachment to cross her features.

"Abby," Samara said again as she sat down close to her. "I would advise against lying to me, my code does not tolerate such things."

Abby took a short breath and shook her head. "I'm not lying," she said. "I heard Kelly and Kasumi discussing it. But they weren't discussing you, I promise." That was the truth, Samara could see it. She stared at the vet for a long time, wondering whether she was uncomfortable because she had 'told' on the two people closest to her on the ship or whether she was trying to hide something. She was about to point that out when something sharpened in Abby's gaze.

"Did you feel guilty about your daughter?" She asked before Samara could say anything. "When you realized that she was an Ardat Yakshi. It must've been frightening."

The question made Samara sit back surprised as her mind immediately returned to that day in the clinic where an ignorant physician had destroyed her life, telling her the fate of all three her daughters. The asari had not been a pureblood and had not taken any measures to hide the fact that she thought Samara was personally responsible for her daughters' fate for choosing another asari lover. She had to take a breath and pulled back under Abby's dark gaze, shaking her head.

"Abby, I do not want to discuss that," she said simply. "Please." The moment she said it, she realised that she had let her opportunity go to question the young woman further. She had shared her own feelings with Samara, had told her what she felt towards her father. To now refuse her the same courtesy...

To her surprise though, Abby didn't look happy with her victory, but grimaced and carefully reached out to touch Samara's shoulder. If she had been Shepard, Samara would've pulled back but instead she allowed the young woman to gently rest a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't blame my father," she said. "I don't hate him. I had the sense Samara to see that this was something that he had no control over. I'm sure that... that your daughter realised this. I know you had to kill her but from my perception, you did her a favour. We become victims of our own bodies and it takes... a very significant event to free us of it." She sighed and carefully pushed herself up, clutching her breakfast bowl to her chest. It must've been long cold and she looked as if she wasn't going to touch it again. "And I'm not lying to you Samara. You're... you're just a little bit intense for me." She left the room silently, leaving Samara to stare at the spot that she had vacated, wondering whether Abby had just did her a favour or manipulated her.

* * *

><p><strong>Aria T'loak was staring at her. <strong>

Most people wouldn't be able to pick up over the din of the crowded and murky Afterlife atmosphere but Asura Dushkriti could feel the asari's eyes on her back, watching her. She took care not to turn around and stare back at her, knowing that she had already attracted much more of the asari's attention than she wanted to. She didn't know if Aria knew what she was, but she could tell that she was being watched now whenever she stepped on Omega.

It was her own fault, she thought as she looked up at the dancer before her. The young maiden missed a step, her eyes darting to Asura nervously. Club dancers had good instincts for spotting predators; it stopped them from being exposed to the more dangerous element of the life that they lead. It had to be said though that Aria took good care of her girls though she also watched them with as much suspicion as the mercenaries on Omega. The Patriarch was very fond of telling how Aria herself had come to Omega as a simple dancer and how she had worked her way up to becoming the Pirate Queen. If one young maiden could do it, what's to stop any of the others?

Thinking of the Patriarch made Asura down her drink and step away from the bar, though not before she swiped her credit chit to tip the dancer. His latest story was of how the Commander Shepard had killed the assassins who had come after him. He made the woman sound like a goddess, incorporating elements of how she had saved the Citadel as if he himself had been there. Asura had never listened to those stories up until now. She had never been interested in Shepard, though found it intriguing that a human of all things could cheat death.

Yet, she had witnessed it herself. A human, defying all the odds and surviving when all others have failed.

A woman, not legendary Commander Jane Shepard – but Dr. Abigail Gable.

She had used all the resources that she had gathered in the past year to try and find out more about the human veterinarian but all her leads so far had come up empty. The only information broker that had come up with some information was Dr. Liara T'soni who had managed to confirm that Abby had been seen with Shepard. It was what had pulled her to Illium and allowed her to find the timid woman again. Memories that were not hers swirled to the surface and she allowed herself to explore them as she slowly made her way out of Afterlife. They were... interesting. She remembered the woman dancing, laughing as she made her way around a group of people Asura could only guess was her family. Her hair was longer then, hanging almost to her waist. She was younger and less inhibited than the woman Asura had almost killed.

She was going to have to ask her about those memories if they ever met again.

_When,_ Asura told herself. _I'll find her. I have to._

As if called, the turian who worked for Dr. T'soni filtered through her line of sight, disappearing and then reappearing close to the door. Making sure that she saw him, he disappeared through the door. Asura knew that he'd find her when she walked out, so she continued at her regular pace, wondering what information she'll be receiving. She was just going down the stairs of the club when someone came up from behind her, linking an arm with hers.

"I thought I told you to stay away from Omega for a while," a voice whispered in her neck. "What in the Goddess's name are you doing back here Asura?"

* * *

><p><strong>She hid in the infirmary for the rest of the day, quietly reading one of Dr. Chakwas' alien physiology books for lack of anything better to do.<strong> She didn't want to go back to the room she shared with Kasumi immediately, sensing that the thief might need some alone time. Although she knew that it was all in her mind, she couldn't help but feel a little bit like an intruder in Kasumi's privacy. The woman needed space to do things on her own without Abby being present the whole time. Dr. Chakwas had been kind enough to offer her an alternative. She found her reading interesting, but couldn't quite see herself as an alien doctor. The concept of talking patients frightened her too much and, as she had done many times in her life, she wondered how doctors did it on a day to day basis. True, she wished that her patients could tell her what was wrong sometimes, but she didn't want to deal with it the whole time. She tried to imagine for a moment, having a practice here in this world or being an Alliance doctor like Dr. Chakwas but found herself unable to imagine a future for herself in this world.

The truth was that she still didn't know what was going to happen next.

She tried not to dwell on it and by the time that Shepard came into the infirmary she had just managed to get the general idea of what made turians and quarians so different from humans and asari. The Commander stepped into the room with the same presence that she always carried with her. Abby turned to watch her, seeing that she was still wearing the sling. Her eyes scanned the beds before she turned to Chakwas.

"Where's Jack?"

Chakwas smiled in greeting, having turned her chair around to face the woman. "I released her this morning, I was just sending you an update on your crew members." She smiled at Jane. "She's not fit for active duty yet but I couldn't really think of a reason to keep her here. I was worried that she might suffer a stroke from trying not to curse."

Shepard smiled slightly as she turned to look at Abby. "I'll go down to see her in a moment," she said. "How are you doing Abby?"

Not sure how to respond to it, Abby shrugged and tried to put on a calm expression. "I'm fine," she said automatically. "Do you need me for anything Commander?"

There was a spark in Jane's eyes as she shook her head, reminding Abby of the evening they had spent together. It felt like a lifetime ago now and this was the first time since then that she saw this mischievous look.

"Not for anything in particular," Jane admitted. "But, we're approaching Omega and Joker wanted to know whether you would like to come up to the bridge to see it. It's quite an interesting entrance and you haven't really been to the bridge."

Abby blinked at the invitation and found herself glancing towards Dr. Chakwas who smiled and nodded. "It never gets old," she said. "One of my favourite approaches is to the Citadel. The first time I saw the station it was... amazing." Her eyes sparkled. "And of course, Mars is not to be dismissed."

"Or Earth," Shepard said with a laugh and turned towards the door. "Are you coming Abby?"

Without replying, the vet quickly got off of the bed where she had been sitting and joined the Commander, leaving the infirmary at her side. She didn't know what to say to Jane, still privately irritated with her for the way she dismissed her that morning. Of course, even though she hadn't meant it that way Abby knew that Jane had every right to be condescending. Having seen her crew in action the day before, Abby knew that she was truly nothing more than a burden on them. She couldn't even have breakfast without spilling half over herself. It's only right for the Commander to assume...

"Is there something wrong between us Abby?" The vet blinked up out of her thoughts when they stopped at the elevator and hesitated, seeing the curious but concerned look on Jane's features. "You've hardly spoken a word to me."

Abby had to keep herself from grimacing as she shrugged. "I have a lot on my mind Commander," she said as they stepped into the elevator together. "I'm sorry."

Jane smiled and closed the door behind them. "EDI," she said. "Hold it here for a while. Abby, I thought we've established that you can call me Jane. Or Shepard. I believe enough alcohol's passed between us for at least some formality to be dropped. Is something bothering you?"

Abby hesitated, feeling guilty because Shepard had such an open attitude with her. She grimaced and crossed her arms, moving back into the one corner of the elevator.

"Yesterday was a bit too much for me," she confessed half of what had been bothering her. "Going there, being in the fight... I'm a vet Shepard and a miserable one at that. I shouldn't have been there. My actions, my decisions put all of us in danger." She sighed and motioned to herself. "I shouldn't even be here."

Shepard stared at her, her face perfectly neutral as she considered Abby's words. "And you think you were a burden on my crew?" she guessed. "That you _are_ a burden on my crew?"

It took all of Abby's self-control not to flinch as she shrugged and looked at the console. She was surprised when Jane stepped up to her and rested a light hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look at her face.

"Dr. Gable," she said with a laugh. "You were anything but a burden. Firstly, you didn't force us to go to Tetra. It was more my decision than anybody else's. And, you had a _lot_ on your mind yesterday. You were living through the memories of another person, of course you were a little bit unhinged. And, you're not a soldier Abby – as you've said, you're a vet." She shook her head. "This world has got too many soldiers in it already, it's such a gift to be..." She hesitated, searching for words.

Looking at her sceptically, Abby grinned bitterly. "Weak?"

Shepard laughed immediately. "You are anything but weak," she said. "Trust me, I've seen weakness. You saved one of my crew members, risked your life to carry Jack to safety despite the physical limitations that you have. And, there's a fire in you Abby, I think you've just become so obsessed with what you can't do that you forget everything that you can. Don't compare yourself to everybody else. We all have something to offer that only we can give."

Blinking, feeling very uncomfortable with the sudden turn of the conversation. Abby looked away from the Commander, schooling her features to calm. Shepard didn't say anything else, but continued to grin at her in an amused fashion.

"Let's go EDI," she said finally. "Otherwise Dr. Gable and I might be the talk of the ship before long." She winked at Abby. "People always wonder why the elevator takes longer than usual."

Blushing, but finding it hardly a chore to laugh, Abby nodded. "I think I'll have to get in line Shepard," she said with a smile and found that she meant it. Staring at the Commander, remembering her easy laugh and her kind words, she could see why so many of her crew members respected the woman and why it was so easy to see yourself try to be more in her eyes. It was what held a dangerous criminal like Jack in line and why Miranda had learned to forgive herself for her mistakes and see herself as human instead of a creation.

And Samara...

Abby felt a touch of pity for the woman, who had to fight so hard to resist Jane's pull. If their roles had been reversed, she could not see herself doing the same.

**The End of Chapter 32**


	33. Chapter 33

_**AN: Thank you again for all of the reviews, it is truly a pleasure!**_

**Omega**

**This time Kasumi and Kelly joined them. **

Preparing to leave for Omega on the morning after they docked, Shepard had called in the crew that have been involved with Abby throughout her stay to give them the low down of what they were planning. Having gotten Dr. Chakwas to keep Abby distracted until they were ready to leave, she had called the two other women to the briefing room along with Samara and Miranda. They had methodically explained to them what they were planning to do. Liara had let Shepard know that her source in Omega had made contact with the asari who had approached him for information on the Normandy. It was a good sign that she _was _still in Omega. Shepard couldn't help but feel that the Ardat Yakshi was waiting for them.

After she explained about their plan, Shepard saw Kelly frown, her light green eyes troubled as she looked at her.

"Commander," she said – her tone a little bit more formal than it was when they were on their own. "Are you doing this without Dr. Gable's knowledge?"

Miranda gave the young woman a cold look as she never took kindly to anybody second guessing a plan – whether it was hers or not. "Yes Yeoman," she said smoothly. "Do you have anything that you wish to add?"

Kelly sniffed and gave Miranda a blank look, not intimidated by her in the least. "I'm just wondering why you're not telling her," she pointed out. "Commander, I don't think that Dr. Gable is a threat to us. I gave you my psyche profile. She wants to know about Asura just as much as the rest of us. It might be safer for her if we just let her know..."

"Kelly," Samara said softly. "We do not doubt Dr. Gable's intention – but unfortunately we also have no way of measuring how much she is under the Ardat Yakshi's influence. It's not something that she'll have any control over. Trust me – I hunted one of them for ten's of decades. Their ultimate goal is survival and they would do anything, and influence anybody, to try and achieve it."

Shepard's mouth was thin as she nodded. "I've been confronted with an Ardat Yakshi, Kelly," she said. "I'm sorry to say but Samara's right. Their influence is unconscious. They slip into your mind, control your thoughts... I almost gave in to Morinth..." She hesitated at the name but continued quickly, giving Samara an apologetic look. "We'll be there to keep an eye on her. That's where all of you come in. We have to find reasons to keep Abby on Omega for most of the day. Dr. Chakwas is taking her through the markets. Garrus will be going with them as he knows Omega best and who to look out for in case the mercenaries have tracked us here. The intention here is not to make contact, rather just to show Asura that Abby is here. If it's possible Kasumi, I also want you to follow them, scan the crowds and see who is taking notice."

Kasumi's mouth was thin as she nodded though Shepard could sense the same disapproval from her as Kelly had shown. The two women had become quite fond of Abby and it was natural that they didn't want to see her in harm's way. Shepard too didn't want to see the vet get hurt but she considered the bigger picture as well. If the Ardat Yakshi was left to her own devices, many _more_ people could get hurt. Innocent people.

"And me?"

The voice from the doorway startled them all. Shepard turned to see Jack leaning against the frame, her eyes piercing as she stared at all of them. She was only standing on one leg and had her arms crossed. Miranda's face sparked with irritation immediately but Shepard was more careful, keeping her expression neutral as she gave Jack a questioning look.

"What do you mean Jack?" she queried, though she suspected she knew what the woman wanted.

"What about me?" Jack asked again. "Am I going with Kasumi or Garrus?"

Kelly turned to Jack, making a motion to the young woman's leg. "You're not cleared for duty yet Jack," she said. "You don't have to go."

Jack ignored her, fixing an icy stare on Shepard. "I'd prefer to stick to Garrus," she said. "As Kasumi will do her cloaking thing. Or, I'd _suggest_ that she does it, Omega can be funny when it comes to stalking people." It dawned on Shepard that Jack had not cursed once.

Motioning to Kelly to step down, Shepard gave Jack a kind look, but was careful not to smile lest it showed her amusement. "Jack, you have not been cleared for duty," she said. "Dr. Chakwas said that you should take it slow for at least a week."

The convict exploded with her usual show of temper. "So fucking what?" she snapped. "I will take it fucking slow. I'm going with a geriatric and a fucking..." If she had wanted to say cripple, she stopped herself. "And that vet," she finished off. "They don't walk fast and where Chakwas is going, you can't fucking well run anyway. It's packed." This time, Shepard had to smile. Motioning to the others to wait, she went to Jack and took her towards the armoury. The young woman followed her grudgingly, limping slightly.

"Jack," Shepard said when they were out of earshot for the briefing room. "You don't have to go along. Really, we've got it covered."

Sniffing, Jack crossed her arms and glared at the world in general. "You said so yourself Shepard," she said softly so that the others couldn't hear her. "She's my responsibility."

Smiling, Shepard took a step back to give Jack the space she sensed the young woman needed. "I won't hold you to it Jack," she said softly. "You did what you needed to do on Tetra."

Jack snorted and shook her head. She crossed her arms and glared at the space by Jane's feet before she came to a decision. "I owe her Shepard," she said. "She... Fuck Shepard. Just let me go along." She bent down and lifted up her trousers, revealing an intricate brace fixed around her knee. "It's not broken," she said. "The ligaments aren't even torn. This brace stops me from putting weight on it. If there's trouble in Omega, we won't be able to run away anyway. I can give her more protection than Kasumi and Garrus combined."

Staring at the biotic, Jane felt an overwhelming sense of pride, though she took care not to show it - knowing that Jack was awkward enough with the situation. Nodding, she patted Jack's shoulder and went back into the briefing room, staring at her assembled crew.

"Jack's going along," she said simply. "Now, after Abby's gone out with Chakwas..."

* * *

><p><strong>Omega was certainly different than it had been in the game Abby thought as she looked around the dim streets of the mined asteroid.<strong> For one thing, it was a lot busier. Aliens of all shapes and sizes moved along the streets, buying wares over which they negotiated and argued. They made her nervous because she soon realized that there were a lot more of what she had always considered to be the 'hostile' races around. Batarians with their strange four eyes glared at her and Dr. Chakwas as they walked past and vorcha brawled in the street, reminding her that they were one of the fastest reproducing species in the galaxy. Even the turians seemed more hostile and she suspected that if it wasn't for Garrus towering over them they would not have made it out of the sector untouched.

She shivered and glanced at Dr. Chakwas who surprisingly, just like Garrus, looked in her element. She held her head high without looking proud and walked as if she knew exactly where she was going. She had just purchased some medication for the Normandy for what she explained to be a much cheaper price than it would've been in Illium. Garrus too looked confident and downright frightening as he moved behind them, his gun clutched in his hands like a guards. Just before they exited the Normandy he had given her a massive shotgun which he told her to wear over the dark leather jacket that she wore. She had looked at him as if he had gone mad but he had smiled at her, saying that on Omega very few people were willing to find out whether a person could actually wield the gun that they were carrying. Aria's idea of upholding the law was a bit vague when it came to what she saw as silly acts of violence. Garrus told them that Aria let most crime slide, unless it had a direct influence on the stability of Omega's economy. He believed that if the mercenaries had not teamed up to stop him and his team, she would've interfered.

Glancing back to him, Abby wondered how he felt being back here, in the place where he had lived for two years after Shepard's death. He had lost a lot of friends here.

Sighing softly, she turned her attention to the last person in their party. Jack was limping just a stride behind her, her face fixed in a permanent scowl as she looked around, acting as if she expected everybody to jump them. Abby couldn't quite understand what she was doing here as she'd have thought that having a sore knee was a good enough excuse as any to get out of active duty. When she commented on it, the convict had only glared at her. Still, despite that Abby felt as if something had softened in the younger woman, as if she wasn't the disapproving force that she had been when they were on Tetra. Now, instead of glaring at Abby's back constantly, she was actually glaring at the world around them. It was a refreshing change.

Smiling, Abby turned her attention back to the world around them. She was relieved that they were going back to the Normandy, though she wondered whether they would have the time to stop at that small shop that she favoured... She stopped dead in her tracks and looked around, her heart pounding in her chest. Garrus bumped into her and cursed loudly, making a rough grab for her shoulder before she lost her balance and fell to the ground. Abby hardly noticed as she instinctively adjusted her balance and stepped away from the turian.

_That small shop..._ _There._

She turned to Dr. Chakwas who was frowning at her. "Abby," the doctor asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I know this place," Abby breathed and moved out of the general crowd towards one of the shop walls. "Asura's been here."

She didn't see the look that passed between the three Normandy crew members as they moved to follow her. Moving quickly, Abby wove through the crowd then moved down the wall to the shop she had in her mind. It was, surprisingly, run by a human couple who were selling everything from earth to vorcha delicacies. The husban, Arnold, Abby remembered, was behind the counter and looked up when she stood in the doorway. When she didn't come in though he looked away and went back to the console in front of him. Abby wondered if she should say anything but ended up stepping away and turning back to the three people with her.

"I've been here," she said. "She used to come here when she could and down there..." She paused as she turned into a direction. "That was where..." She faltered, but Abby suddenly realized that she had to remember what Asura had been doing in this region of Omega. She allowed her memories to pull her in the same way that she had allowed them to guide her on Tetra but before she could step away from the group Garrus grabbed her by the arm, glaring down at her.

"Where are you going?" he hissed. "Not every place here is human friendly Abby, I can't keep all of you alive."

Jack barked a laugh and shook her head. "You don't have to take care of me, turian," she said. "I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself. Let her go."

Abby pulled away from Garrus and gave him a pleading look. "Please Garrus," she said. "It's important. There's something here I need to remember."

The turian didn't look pleased but finally conceded, bowing his head ever so slightly and motioning to her to continue. Abby chose her direction again and started walking, weaving through the crowd with her destination in mind. She could feel her mind itching again, her world shifting into two perspectives as she saw Asura's memories in her mind's eye. The asari had come here, feeling raw and drained. It must have been just after she managed to leave Tetra. Omega was the most logical choice to flee to. She could get supplies there, get onto a new ship or loose herself in the crowd. People came to Omega to disappear and some came to start a new life. She needed to do both.

But first, she had to try and make sense of what had happened to her family. She hadn't known where to start and had spent days drifting around Omega, trying to catch some hint of which of the mercenary groups had attacked her home. She had eventually found herself here, in this region...

Abby wanted to walk into a doorway of a local bar but was blocked by a big turian who shoved her away before she even realized that he was there. She'd have fallen had Jack not grabbed her from behind and pushed her up, swiftly moving in between the two of them when she was sure Abby had her balance.

"What's your problem?" she snapped. "My friend was just looking."

The turian first looked as if he wanted to dismiss Jack out of mind but when he looked at her again he hesitated and glared at them. "Private bar," he barked. "You can't come in without knowing the..."

"Balarus," Abby said automatically, looking at him defiantly and taking some satisfaction from his startled expression. The turian bowed his head and stepped aside grudgingly but he did not stop glaring at her. Surprised that it had worked, Abby glanced back at the others and started to go inside. When they tried to follow her however, he stopped them, sneering at Garrus.

"It's a one person pass only," he said and held a hand in Jack's direction as she started to speak. "And don't think repeating it's going to get you access. You should know that group entry requires another."

Abby paused, her mouth going dry when she realized that she was going to have to go in on her own. The others clearly didn't think that it was a good idea for they motioned to her to come back. "Abby come here," Garrus barked at her. "We'll get our passwords straight and come back later."

Unconsciously touching the shotgun on her back, Abby shook her head. "He's not going to let us back in," she said, glancing at the turian. "I can tell. I'll be out in a moment, I just need to see something."

Jack growled at her and tried to push past the guard, a shimmer of biotics trailing over her skin in threat. "No fucking way," she said. "Let me past turian, I have no qualms with tearing your fucking kind in half."

The turian sneered and suddenly three batarians flanked the group from behind, their weapons already drawn. "No qualms here either," he hissed and turned to Abby. "Go in, see who you want to see in there and come out. This is no fucking human tourist destination."

Abby nodded tightly, unable to keep her arm from jerking as a wave of nervousness washed over her. Looking at the three Normandy crew members she steeled herself against their disapproval and motioned into the bar. "I'll be right back," she said and glanced at the turian. "Just give me a few minutes."

"Abby," Dr. Chakwas started, looking concerned. "I don't think..."

The vet shook her head stubbornly and took a step back. "I'll be right back," she repeated and turned, heading into the club – thinking that if she was making another mistake, she was at least doing it on her own without putting any of the Normandy crew members in danger.

* * *

><p><strong>Before she entered the main room, two angry looking batarians stopped her and searched her person for any dangerous weapons.<strong> They put a chip on her gun which she guessed made it stop functioning and growled the rules of the bar at her. She ignored them because in a sense – she had heard them before. Stepping into the din of the common room, Abby took a moment to study her surroundings. It soon dawned on her that she was the only human present and the vibe when the aliens looked at her was less than friendly. Swallowing, hoping that she wasn't going to fall on her face, Abby carefully wove through the patrons, making her way to the bar. She did fall twice though both times were attributed to either chairs or limbs that were unexpectedly shoved in front of her. Both times she knew she couldn't have stopped herself even if she tried and picked herself up carefully without showing any emotion. She was very good at that anyway. Nobody laughed when she fell, but nobody bothered to help her up and it felt as if _everybody_ noticed.

They were not happy with her presence.

At the bar, Abby chose a specific chair and sat down carefully. The bartender, a scar faced vorcha growled at her and waved his hand in her face. "You no drink here," he spat her at her. "No! You no drink here."

Abby sniffed and glared at him. "I won't drink," she said. "I'm waiting for someone." She made a point of not looking at him as she carefully moved around to face the room, turning her head around to see what the clientele looked like. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she could feel something shifting in her mind. Her eyes picked out an asari in the one corner, making her heart leap with anticipation.

_Asura…_ The alien met her gaze and frowned. _No, but…_ Abby shivered, not liking the look in the woman's gaze. Her eyes were particularly sharp when she pushed herself up and carefully made her way through the other patrons, right towards Abby. Her gaze softened when she saw Abby following her movement and her progress became… sultry, inviting.

Abby closed her eyes and turned away from the asari, wishing suddenly that she had not come here on her own. Unconsciously she touched her leg, remembering the last time she tried to be a hero. That effort had gotten her shot and almost killed her. Had it not been for Shepard who arrived when she did…

She shivered when a hand trailed over her shoulders but when she looked up, the bar had changed and she remembered…

* * *

><p><strong>Asura sat with her head in her hands, staring at the glass in front of her.<strong> She was more drunk that she had ever been in her life and drunker than she should've been. _They could come here, _she found herself thinking. _They could come and kill me here…_ She closed her eyes and snorted, draining the glass and putting it down for another, motioning to the grumpy vorcha to fill it up. _Let them come,_ she thought bitterly. _They can kill me and be done with it. I'll see my family again… _

A hand trailed over her shoulders, making her shiver as she looked up. Asura was surprised to realize that her world had become dazed and, when she blinked, she felt warm tears trial down her cheeks. She wiped them away embarrassed and looked at the person who had joined her. It was another asari which put her on edge immediately. Her father had always warned her never to associate with others of her kind.

_The other species are ignorant of your condition,_ Raile had told her. _But asari are always weary. There are just enough of you to keep the legend alive. If you let them know what you are, they'll hunt you. They'll force you into a life of solitude. You must not kill again Asura – you must not! _

It had been said to her many times and she had adhered to it until now.

Looking at the asari who slipped in next to her, she shifted and made to stand up but the smile the stranger shared with her made her pause. _So warm… As if she knows me…_

"Here," the asari said without warning and pushed a data chip in her direction. "You'll need that."

Asura blinked at the clip and then at the newcomer. "Excuse me," she said numbly. "But… You must have the wrong…"

The asari smiled and shook her head. "Trust me, Asura Dushkriti," she said softly. "I'm not mistaken."

Asura leapt up immediately but stumbled over her own feet and crashed to the ground. She tried to scramble away from the asari but to her surprise the stranger laughed and pulled her up.

"I think you've had enough for one night Mai'mai," she said loudly. "Let's go home." She tried to pull her forward but Asura pulled against her, staying where she was. Realizing that she had to try not to make a scene, she carefully sat down on her chair again.

"One more," she said loudly. "Just one. Sit."

The asari smiled at her amused and did as she was told. Feeling completely sober Asura took a steadying breath and scanned the bar, looking for any signs that there were mercenaries closing in on them. The patrons seemed at ease and when she met their gazes they smiled at her, amused at the antics of a drunk asari. Leaning closer to the other, Asura hissed under her breath.

"Who the fuck are you?" She liked the human swear word, it had caught on quicker than the quarian _bosh'tet_ on Omega.

The asari smiled at her and shrugged, motioning to the vorcha to pour her a drink as well. He seemed to know her because he gave her something without asking. She sipped slowly before she turned back to Asura.

"A friend of your father's," she said. "Someone who knows what happened three weeks ago. Someone who has seen it happen in her own life." She gave Asura a pointed look then motioned to the data pad. "There is a list of names of people who were involved with your attack and their current locations."

Asura blinked at it, her head spinning. _Maybe she wasn't completely sober…_ "Excuse me?" she said, feeling numb. "You…" She wanted to cry again, her mind torn back to the memories of her family's murder. Trying to hide her grief, she reached out and took the data chip, studying it. "No. Nobody knew of me. I mean…" She stumbled over her own words and changed her approach, forcing herself to calm down. "Who _are_ you?"

There was a kind look in the asari's gaze as she downed her drink. "Come with me Mai'mai," she said softly. "Please. I can tell you a few things, but we can't discuss it here. I promise, I won't hurt you and I'll make sure that nobody else ever does. For your father's sake, come with me."

Again, Asura blinked and this time she felt tears trailing down her cheeks again. "If you know my father, then you ask her _where the hell_ she is," she growled and turned away from the asari. "I'm not going with you." She turned to leave but the asari reached out once more, slipping a small data pad into her hand.

"When you're ready come to me," she said. "And I'll tell you what you need to know. I'm going to be your friend Mai'mai, you'll see."

* * *

><p>"<strong>We don't see a lot of your kind here," <strong>the asari said, pulling Abby out of her thoughts. "I'm surprised the guard let you in."

Abby blinked and shivered, looking into the alien's pale blue eyes. She didn't look at all like Samara or Asura though she seemed... Older. It was hard to tell. Clearing her throat, Abby shrugged uncomfortably and tried to smile.

"I'm supposed to be meeting someone here," she said lightly. "But it seems that they're not coming. I mean... She. She's not coming. I'm... Abby."

The asari raised her brow. It dawned on the vet for the first time that the asari didn't have any hair. Anywhere. Of course she had read it in Dr. Chakwas' book but... _What the hell was wrong with her?_ This was not the time and place to be staring at the blue alien's lack of facial hair.

"Abby," the asari said. "Simple, I like it. I'm Lenelle." She paused and smiled. "Can I order you a drink Abby? One that won't kill you? While we wait for your _friend_ to come." She motioned to the barman and without saying a word, he poured them two drinks. Abby jerked as if slapped when she looked at the gesture.

_This asari,_ she thought. _This... She's the same one! She's the same one from my memory!_

She stood up quickly and shook her head. "No," she said. "No, I really have to be going. Next time maybe? I don't think they'll let me in again but..." She smiled, feeling out of breath and panicked.

Her companion seemed to lap up her fear, taking it in as if her nerves where a breath of fresh air to be savoured. "Of course... Abby," she said, the pause on her name making Abby shiver. "I'll look forward to finding you again, decent company is so hard to keep these days."

Abby couldn't make herself smile as she nodded nervously and moved to the door. "I'm sorry about the drink," she said and stepped back, not taking her eyes off of Lenelle. "Thank you. Good bye." She took several steps backwards before she managed to find the courage to turn her back on the woman. Taking extra care not to fall over anybody's feet this time, Abby fled to the door where she hoped the rest of the crew were still waiting for her. She knew that she might've imagined it, but she could've sworn that she felt Lenelle's eyes on her the whole time.

**The End of Chapter 33**


	34. Chapter 34

_**AN: Writing this, I discovered that I made a slight mistake in the previous chapter, not stating that this actually happens in the next day. I've gone and corrected it. I apologise for the inconvenience. **_

**Afterlife. **

**Abby was more than a little relieved to find Garrus, Dr. Chakwas and Jack still waiting for her outside. **As she had left the bar, she had been worried that they might've decided to leave her to her fate and return to the Normandy without her but the three were still there, stuck between the bar's turian and the batarians as they waited for her to arrive. Abby knew that she could only have been gone for a few minutes but it felt like a lifetime. She always felt a little strange after Asura's memories and even though she had managed to separate herself from the asari's perception it still took a lot out of her. The alien's memories were never pleasant, either filled with horror, sorrow or bitterness. Even her memories of Risha before she died had turned sour in Abby's mind now that she knew that the child was dead.

"Are you done?" Garrus asked her before she could say anything when she was outside again. Abby barely managed to nod before he grabbed her by the arm and pushed her forward.

"Good," he snapped. "We're leaving."

They pushed away from the batarians and headed back up the street that she had brought them down. It was difficult to judge the two humans' mood as they fell in step next to her, but Abby could sense that they were displeased as well. They only slowed down when they were well out of the district and at the cab port, waiting for their transport back to the main floor of Omega.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Garrus snapped when they stopped. "Going into that bar, you were probably the _only_ human in there! It doesn't even have a mixed species' licence! Did you drink anything in there? Did you touch anything?"

Abby steeled herself against the turian's onslaught, choosing to meet his gaze firmly as she shook her head. "I didn't drink anything," she pointed out. "I remembered something Garrus, I had another one of Asura's memories and I think it was an important one."

Dr. Chakwas frowned and shook her head. "Let's not speak of it here Abby," she said quickly. "Shepard will want to know of this – and we don't know who is listening. Please, for the sake of your own safety, don't wander off again and don't breathe another word of this."

Nodding, Abby glanced at Jack who, to her surprise, looked a little amused now that she was safe. When their gazes met she shook her head with a grin. "Stupidity can be lethal you know," she pointed out. "You're pushing your luck in all the wrong ways."

Not sure how to reply, Abby shrugged and nodded. Her mind immediately turned back to Lenelle and she couldn't help but wonder why the asari was in that bar. _Was_ _she waiting for Asura? Did Asura go back to her?_ She thought of the data pad that the alien had given her with her address_. If I could remember what's on it, I can tell Shepard where she lives. _

Taking a steadying breath, Abby tried to force herself to relax – still feeling unsettled by the asari's attention. She could be the explanation that Abby needed as to how Asura started killing. Still, something didn't feel right. She couldn't help but feel that, if she had done so, Asura had made a mistake in trusting the asari.

* * *

><p>"<strong>Dr. Gable, when this meeting concludes, I would like to have a word with you,"<strong> the Commander said tightly when they were back on the Normandy, crammed into her bedroom. "Don't think for one moment that I am amused with your actions."

Blinking, wondering what she had done to deserve such a tone; Abby frowned at Shepard and nodded simply. "Of course Commander," she said, thinking that they were the safest words to say. Jane nodded, but her eyes didn't become less sharp as she turned to her other crew members. Samara, Garrus, Jack and even Kasumi were there, making the room very crowded and Shepard was the only one sitting down.

"Did any of you see this asari?" she queried. "Did you see anybody else that looked familiar?" Abby wondered if she was referring to Asura.

Garrus shook his head, as did Dr. Chakwas and Jack. "She didn't follow Dr. Gable out," he said. "And I made sure that we were not followed. Nobody else took notice of us in the region."

"Good," Shepard said simply and turned to Samara. "Do you know this Lenelle?"

Samara frowned and shook her head, turning to Abby for answers. "Could you describe to me how she looked?" she queried. "Could you tell how old she was?"

Abby grimaced and shrugged. "She appeared your age," she said. "Though it was difficult to tell. Her skin wasn't as light as yours, but not as dark as Asura's. She was confident. And... A little intense. She didn't know who I was naturally and I don't think she realized that I recognized her. But still, there was something very odd in the way she looked at me. "

"And you're sure this is the same asari from your memories?" Shepard queried. "I know that you had some difficulty identifying individuals in the beginning."

Abby blushed, thinking back to the comment that she had made that all asari looked the same. Now that she was more exposed to the race she had changed her opinion, feeling more adept at noticing the subtle differences between them. "I'm sure it's her," she said. "Her voice, her touch... It was the same, though she had approached us differently. With me, I think that she was honestly just interested to see why I'd be in bar like that on Omega. With Asura, her approach had been deliberate. She told her that she knew who had killed her family. She even gave her a list of people involved. She knew something but Asura... I don't know what she decided. She gave Asura a data pad with her address on. I want to try and remember that."

Shepard frowned at her and shook her head. "We'll see," she said. "And the only name you have for her is Lenelle?"

Abby nodded and glanced back at Samara, who was frowning. She seemed to be trying to remember anybody of the name but, judging by the look on her face, she wasn't coming up with any suitable candidates.

Garrus sniffed and looked at Shepard, his mandibles opening and closing in disapproval. "If she's anybody to be worried about," he pointed out. "Aria will know of her. She knows how to flag the important ones here. If you want to get her involved, it might be worth stopping in Afterlife."

Shepard nodded, not looking as if she enjoyed the idea as she played with the sling her arm still rested in. "I was thinking of dropping by anyway," she said. "And I think that Aria likes to know what I'm up to."

She sighed and glanced at Abby, taking a long moment to study her - making the vet uncomfortable. "Do you have anything else to add Dr. Gable?"

For a brief moment, she considered apologising for just running off again but she kept her mouth shut and shook her head, thinking that she had done what she needed to do to remember something about Asura and keep the others out of harm's way. _Nobody was going to get hurt because of me again. Nobody_

"Right," Shepard said. "The rest of you are dismissed, I'll tell you what we're going to do next within the hour. I want to talk to Abby alone for a moment."

Abby looked at Shepard with a frown but the others nodded, saluted in their separate ways and left the Commander's bedroom. Abby watched them go then turned to Shepard who was still seated at her desk. Sniffing, she crossed her arms and went to stand by the empty fish tank.

* * *

><p><em><strong>She's not a team player<strong>_**,**** Shepard thought as she looked at the vet, taking in her defensive posture.** _And she's not going to like what I'm going to say now..._

Ever since Tetra, Abby had changed. Jane couldn't put her finger on it, but something had slipped into the vet's eyes that weren't there before. It was difficult to explain but the woman had become... defiant. Not towards Shepard, but towards the world in general. She had become harder, quieter. The timid woman that they had rescued from the mercenary ship had slipped away from them. When Miranda and Dr. Chakwas first discussed Abby with Shepard, Miranda had warned her that there was nobody more unpredictable than the person who thought that they had nothing to lose. Something in Abby's gaze reminded Shepard of a person who had seen their end, _and didn't care._

_I'll make her care,_ Shepard thought as she stood up so that she could be more on eye level with the woman. _She's got plenty to lose still._

"Abby, do you know what I want to discuss with you?" she queried, watching the way the woman's arms tightened over her chest.

"I can guess Commander," she said simply, her eyes remaining fixed with Shepard's. "You're unhappy with my behaviour on Omega."

_Straight and to the point,_ Shepard though as she sighed and nodded. _No use beating around the bush with this one..._

"No," she said simply. "No, I'm not. Abby, if it was the first time that you acted recklessly I'd have let it slide. But, you left on your own on Tetra as well. You can't pursue these memories at all cost. Sometimes, you have to stand back and wait for all of us to help you." When Abby didn't say anything, she continued. "For however long a time you are a part of this team. And, within a team every person's actions has a ripple effect. What you do affects not only yourself but those with you. You can't do things on your own Abby, especially not on Omega. Those memories aren't worth your life."

Abby's mouth thinned as she stared at the Commander, telling Jane that she had something to say but the woman kept her mouth shut and merely stared at her. "Speak your mind Abby," Jane said quickly. "I'm not a dictator and you are not military. Tell me what you're thinking so that we can discuss it."

When Abby still didn't reply, Shepard smiled slightly – hoping that it would encourage the woman to start talking. "I can promise you that I won't throw you out of the airlock," she said. "Please Abby, show me that you have at least a little bit of faith in me. That you trust me."

The last words seemed to do the trick as Abby let out a tight breath and shook her head, her hair spilling over her face. She released her arms from their death grip so that she could push the wayward strands away and stare at Jane, her eyes cold.

"I was just thinking about where we'd all be if I didn't have the memories," she pointed out. "But so far, they're what have kept me here. They're the only reason I'm worth anything. It's that thing that I have to offer this team that the others don't. What would you have done with me, Commander, if I had not been the survivor of an Ardat Yakshi's attack?"

Jane raised an eyebrow and stared at Abby, wondering where that came from. "Abby," she said simply. "You don't know me very well do you?"

The vet blinked and crossed her arms again as if she expected an attack. Jane however shook her head with a smile and stepped away from the woman so that she could lean against her desk and study her. "You'd still have been on the Normandy," she said simply. "Under our care. I don't leave people to die Abby and I don't leave people to deal with their problems on their own if they are bigger than the person can handle. You get that into your stubborn head right now."

Abby looked as if Jane had just insulted her. "I'm not stubborn," she said defensively making Jane laugh immediately.

"I'd say you're a mule," Shepard pointed out. "But that would be insulting you." Chuckling to herself, ignoring Abby's glare, she turned her gaze on the empty tank, thinking that if she had time she might as well try to stock it up again.

"Abby, I'm serious about what I said," she said softly. "You have to start thinking when you're out in the field. When you put yourself in danger, you put the people I've put with you into danger. Think about your actions, calculate. Come back and discuss things with me – please, don't do anything on impulse anymore. I know you feel as if you've got nothing to lose, but you are wrong."

This time, Abby's face saddened at her words but she seemed to relax as she sighed and nodded. "I understand Commander," she said softly. "I'm sorry for how I acted, here and on Tetra. Next time I'll try to consider my actions. And I'm sorry for... doubting you."

Shepard chuckled, showing Abby that she accepted her apology. "The whole galaxy doubts me," she said. "I'm used to it."

Abby smiled, but didn't say anything else. Sensing the tension lessening in the room, Shepard moved down to her dress cabinet and glanced back at the vet.

"What do you think we should do from here?" she queried to which Abby shook her head immediately.

"I don't know Commander," she said truthfully. "That's up to you. What do you think we should do? Find this Lenelle?"

Jane nodded and carefully took off her sling, flinching when her shoulder pulled. "Yes," she said. "I think I'm going to take Garrus's advice and go see Aria T'Loak." She saw the vet stiffening at the name. Obviously she had heard of the Pirate Queen's reputation. "And, I think you should come along."

At this, Abby blinked, her face deepening in a frown. "Jane, I don't see the point," she said immediately though Shepard was ready for her.

"If Asura approached Aria at any point in history, you might remember," she said. "That would be significant. And, perhaps this Lenelle might approach you again. The way you explained it, she was curious. I've never seen an asari back down from anything she was curious of."

Abby snorted and shook her head. "We spoke for a full minute," she said. "If that much. I don't think she's my problem."

_Asura is,_ Shepard mentally finished the sentence for her. She didn't say it to Abby, but that was one of the reasons she wanted to take her into Afterlife. As per their original plan, it would give Asura more time to approach the woman and then, maybe, they might start to get some real answers instead of more questions.

* * *

><p><strong>Walking next to Shepard into Omega, Abby was aware of how many people turned towards the Commander. <strong>She didn't wear full body armour as she did in the game but a relatively normal attire that had, according to her, hidden plates just in case. She looked well dressed without being formal though she also wore her guns in plain sight. Not that anybody would mess with her, Abby though wryly. Jane was confident in a non arrogant kind of way. The woman, who had cheated death, destroyed the first Reaper the galaxy encountered in 50,000 years and saved Elysium from a batarian attack almost single-handedly, wasn't going to be intimidated by just anybody. Abby had heard the people on the Normandy say that Shepard was more popular than a man called Admiral Jon Grissom, the first human to take a trip through a Mass Relay. The name had sounded familiar to Abby, but as she had only ever played the second game once, she couldn't recall where she had heard of him.

Afterlife was much bigger than it was in the game and it was teaming with people. Weaving her way through the crowd with Shepard and Jack, Abby couldn't help but feel nervous, watching every alien who looked as if they stared at her twice. She was remembering Illium, how mercenaries had tried to get her and Liara's words – warning them that there was a price on her head. Omega was always teaming with mercenaries of all the bands because it was one of the easiest places to trade from. Although she couldn't understand why the young woman was once again accompanying them, Abby was glad that Jack was at her side – knowing that the ex-convict could pick up anything that she missed. Abby wasn't particularly happy about meeting Aria T'Loak. She had come to feel very wary of asari and she had a feeling that they saw and heard more than what people wanted them to see.

Aria T'Loak was no exception.

She recognized Aria's guards from the game, but could not remember their names. The turian watched Shepard as she approached and motioned to her to go up without a word. Jane nodded at him, her face neutral but respectful. Even Jack briefly made eye contact with the guard but Abby got the feeling it was to warn him that he shouldn't try anything behind their backs. Abby didn't look at him, but rather focused on getting up the stairs without falling on her face. She had left the shotgun Garrus had given her on the Normandy and was barely spared a glance by Aria's guards after they scanned her. Abby didn't look at them either, her attention focused on the asari who had her back turned towards them.

She was... impressive.

Aria had the same confidence as Shepard in her gaze as she turned to look at the woman; her body language relaxed which only made Abby suspicious of her biotic powers. She had heard of Aria's paranoid streak and didn't think that the woman would go into any meeting unprepared. Not that any suspicion showed in her gaze as she stepped down to meet Jane, surprising the other woman by stepping closer to her and lightly kissing her cheeks in a very continental gesture.

"Shepard," she said when she stepped back and motioned to the couch, clearly revelling in the shocked expression on Jane's face. "What a surprise to see you back here."

Jane quickly recovered and with the briefest movement of her hand motioned to Jack and Abby to stay where they were.

"Not as surprised as I am by that greeting," she confessed. "I didn't realize we're on kissing terms."

Aria chuckled, though it wasn't a pleasant sound as she crossed her legs and spared Jack and Abby a glance. The vet wasn't sure but it felt as if Aria looked at her for a fraction of a second longer than at Jack.

"Shepard," Aria said with a smile though it held no mirth. "I know that you are the _last_ person on this rock who will try and stab me in the back. The day we face each other, we will both be armed."

Despite the oddity of the remark, Shepard smiled and made a gallant motion with her hand. She truly had very good people skills. "May that day never come," she said. "I trust things are going well? How is Patriarch doing?"

Aria snorted softly but smiled at Shepard, though it didn't touch her eyes. "You can ask him yourself," she said. "He's your newest fan and it would do well to the credence of his stories if you actually show up. A lot of people have come to believe that his tales of your heroic efforts to save his life is nothing but the embellishment of an old fool's fantasy. And speaking of fantasy, I have been hearing many rumours concerning you Shepard."

Jane shrugged and sat back, crossing her fingers over her knee. She looked calculating and amused. "You of all people should know that rumours should be ignored in this part of the galaxy," she said. "Just the other day I heard of a two headed Elcor's birth. Strange things happen to stories in Omega."

The Pirate Queen made a considering sound but her eyes didn't become any less sharp. "The rumours of your resurrection were true," she said. "Why not the others? Tell me Commander, what did you find on the other side of the Omega-4-Relay? Did you find your missing colonists?" She said it in such a mocking tone that Jack actually shifted beside Abby, immediately drawing all of the guards' attention to them. Jane met Jack's gaze briefly, warning her to stand down before she turned back to Aria.

"I have," she said simply, "though I could not save them. My crew was taken by the Collectors, I followed them through the relay to their base. I confirmed what I've been suspecting all along – the Reapers are coming and they are close."

If Aria believed her she didn't show it, but she studied Jane for a long time, her mouth twisted in amusement. "You and your Reapers," she said softly. "There are other rumours that speak of your sanity Shepard. It's said that the council doubts your judgement more than ever and the only reason they reinstated your Spectre status was to protect their own reputation at the Citadel. I've heard that even Councilman Udina is saying that you should be brought in by the Alliance for a full mental evaluation."

Jane's mouth thinned ever so slightly and it was the first time that Abby heard whom she had chosen as councilmember. Still, Shepard quickly got a hold of her emotions and shrugged, her eyes never leaving Aria's. "Whether my reputation is discredited or not won't change the fact that the Reapers are coming. I can only hope that we will all be prepared when it happens."

Aria shrugged and looked away from Shepard towards Abby and Jack. "Omega is prepared for anything," she said. "Always." She met Abby's gaze who looked down immediately, not wishing to get into a staring battle with the asari. Her action made Aria chuckle softly as she turned back to Shepard.

"You have a wild one here Shepard," she said dryly. "I don't know how security could clear her. One of your guards?"

Shepard seemed relieved that the conversation had turned away from the Reapers. Aria's mention of them had reminded Abby that the woman had more important things to worry about than a self pitying vet. Feeling very foolish suddenly, Abby resolved to thank the Commander for everything that she had done for herself so far. _Act your age woman,_ she thought bitterly. _You used to be more than this._

"She's a friend," Shepard answered Aria's question. "And she's never been to Omega before, I thought to give her a guided tour."

"Interesting," Aria murmured as she once again studied Abby. "Friends are few and far between in the times that we are living in. We must support each other where we can. Without going on a wild goose chase of course. Sometimes when people leap into the fire, all we can do is sit back and watch them burn."

If Shepard didn't like what she heard then she didn't show it. Though when she smiled at Aria, her expression carried as little emotion as the asari had just moments before. "Here's to hoping that it never happens," she said. "Tell me Aria, do you know an asari called Lenelle?"

For a split second, Aria looked at Abby before her gaze went back to Shepard. If they had not been waiting for some sort of response from the alien, they would've missed it.

"There are over a thousand asari on this rock Shepard," Aria said dryly. "I don't know them all."

Shepard sat back and studied the asari. "But, you know this one," she pointed out.

Aria raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "I'm doing you a favour on this Shepard," she said and stood up. "Leave it alone."

Glancing at Abby and Jack, Shepard shrugged and got up as well. "Strange," she said. "I didn't think that you were afraid of anybody on this rock."

Aria took the bait immediately, her gaze sharpening as she glared at Shepard. "Trust me Shepard, I'm not afraid of anybody," she said coldly. "But I did not get where I was by stirring in the wrong pots. You know that some people should just be left to their own devices. There are many individuals here that I allow to go about their own way. If they don't bother me, they can practically do anything."

Abby felt a twinge of discomfort as Aria looked at her again. She wasn't sure what passed in the woman's gaze, whether it was interest, or amusement or pity but she didn't like it. She looked to Shepard who was frowning at her. She seemed to contemplate pushing the subject but eventually she sighed and nodded to herself.

"Thank you Aria," she said. "If that's your way of warning me to stay away from her, I appreciate it."

Aria snorted and shook her head. "See it as you will Shepard," she said. "Thank you for stopping by."

With the meeting clearly done, Shepard didn't comment and returned to Abby and Jack. Before they left though, Aria cleared her throat.

"There's a bounty out on a human woman with dark hair that travels with your company," she pointed out. "The mercenaries who have put this out holds no favour here, but you better watch yourself Dr. Gable. Omega has many dark corners in which people can disappear."

Abby blinked and stiffened, her gaze meeting with Aria's. The asari winked at her then slowly turned back to her view of the club, not quite turning her back on the group but no looking at them again either. Shepard was frowning at Aria but didn't say anything as she motioned to Jack and Abby that they were leaving.

It was only when they were well away from Aria's den that Abby stopped and gave Shepard a worried look. "Did she just threaten me?" she queried. Jane gave her a worried look and shook her head. "Aria doesn't threaten," she said softly. "Not like that. That was a warning Abby and I can tell you now that she knows something."

Jack snorted, but Abby noticed that she was walking closer to her than before. "It's a shame we can't go back and beat the crap out of her," she pointed out. "I fucking hate people like that. They think that they are so fucking powerful that they think they can play these fucking mind games. I fucking hate it."

Shepard nodded and scanned the crowds, her eyes brightening slightly when she picked out a person coming her way. "She's a character," she said softly. "And, she's not going to help us. Not with this. Good evening Kelly."

The yeoman approached them, wearing the long robes that Abby had seen the asari favour. She looked younger than she did on the Normandy, her face more relaxed and her hair done up in tiny ringlets as she smiled from ear to ear.

"I thought you'd never get down from there," she said. "What's the use of being in Afterlife if you're not down here enjoying its splendour?"

Shepard laughed, reaching out to touch Kelly's arm in a very friendly gesture. "You can hardly rush the queen of Omega," she said. "Besides, we left you to warm the dance floor for us."

Kelly laughed and moved to Abby, linking arms with the woman. "Trust me," she said. "The floor's not nearly hot enough yet. Are you coming with me Abby?"

Abby shifted nervously and glanced at Shepard who smiled and waved her off. "Nothing will happen under Aria's nose," she said. "Trust me, you're safer here than you'll be in all of Omega."

She hesitated, pulling back against Kelly as she tried to steer her towards the dance floor. "I ah... don't really dance," she said. "Really. It never ends well."

Kelly laughed and moved her towards the dance floor anyway.

"It rarely does," she said. "But that's when the real fun really starts."

**The End of Chapter 34**


	35. Chapter 35

**To Dance**

**Luckily, Abby had managed to talk her way out of the dancing and rather found herself sitting at the bar in Afterlife, watching Kelly dance some distance away from her.** She had managed to coerce a turian into dancing with her and it looked... Interesting. It seemed that, just like Kelly knew of most of the alien cultures, she also knew most of their dances. The turian seemed to be enjoying himself which made Abby muse whether or not Kelly was going to come back to the Normandy later. The thought made her blush and she wondered suddenly how things worked when gamers romanced Shepard and Garrus.

Pushing the image from her mind, Abby sighed and turned back to her drink, glancing at Jack as she did. The young woman was trying very hard not to talk to a human suitor, her temper barely contained in her light eyes. She was on surprisingly good behaviour though and had declined Abby's offer to drink a glass of wine with her. Abby was surprised (and slightly pleased) that there was some earth red wine on the menu. She had only ordered herself one glass but drinking it was strangely comforting. She felt a pang of homesickness, thinking back to all the times that she and her ex had done the same over red wine, pouring themselves one glass and nursing it the whole evening. At that time they were both so health conscious, going for a jog every morning, watching what they ate but still finding a way to justify drinking a glass of red wine...

She sighed and played with the glass, thinking that her life would never be as uncomplicated again as it was in those years.

"Excuse me," someone said behind her. "But, do you want to dance?"

At first, Abby didn't think that the person was talking to her. It was a female voice and nobody knew her. But then a hand touched her shoulder and she found herself turning to look at a young Asari whose eyes were bright as they stared at her.

"Excuse me," she said again, clearly amused. "But, would you dance with me?"

Abby blinked at her and found that she was stammering to come up with a reply. Her first instinct was to say that she wasn't like _that_ but then she realized that the excuse didn't really count for asari as they weren't technically female and... She realized that she had to say something.

"Err," she hesitated and glanced at Jack who wasn't looking at them. "No, I'm sorry, I ah... don't dance." She gave the asari an apologetic look but the young alien grinned and lowered her head slightly as if she was about to share a big secret with Abby.

"Why not?" she intoned. "You are a gypsy after all."

Abby felt herself go white as she stared at the young maiden. _Surely_, she thought. _Surely not..._ Her memories briefly turned to a night so long ago when she was still a student. A group of her friends had gone out on Bonfire Night and made a big fire in a farmer's field. They were jovial and wild that night, dancing around the fire, making out, doing things that students did when they were trying to forget about the massive amount of work that waited for them. Abby was staring at the fire when a young man came up to her. He was a foreigner, an american and he seemed interested in her. She had played hard to get which only made him more interested. When she denied being able to dance, the young man had given her a surprised look and grinned. "Can't dance?" he said. "I don't believe that. You are a gypsy after all..."

Abby stared at the asari and wondered how she could've known to say those words. Looking around she tried to find Asura but couldn't, though she did notice that the dance floor was getting more and more packed. With her mouth dry and her heart thundering in her chest, she nodded and allowed the asari to pull her up, taking her hand and steer her towards the dance floor. She felt self-conscious and nervous suddenly, with her legs feeling sluggish as she tried to remember how to dance.

"I'm... I'm not very good," she said embarrassed to the smiling maiden. "I mean, I can't... I don't... I haven't danced in years."

The maiden glanced back at her and grinned, her eyes bright and shining. "Then just follow me," she said. "I'll guide you." She pulled them into the middle of the dance floor and where there was a space for them in the crowd. When the maiden started moving to the beat Abby found that she could just stare at her, too scared to move in case she fell.

"Move with me," the asari said with a laugh as she put her hands on Abby's hip and started swaying her to the beat. "You can do it, just relax."

Abby realized that her hands were shaking as she allowed herself to start moving with the young asari (who was most probably several decades older than she was). When she got the rhythm, the asari let go of her hips and started using her arms, moving them in intricate patterns. Watching the ease with which she danced made Abby feel a pang of regret as she wondered whether she would ever move like that again. But, then she heard Shepard's voice in her memory, accusing her of staring herself blind at all of the things that she could not do and not bothering to pay attention to that which she could. The though made her smile embarrassed and, after making sure that she wasn't going to lose her balance, she started moving her arms with the asari, dancing with the woman as she had done with the American all those many years ago. Those years she had had long hair which she tied back with a head scarf. She liked to play the role of the gypsy wanderer when they weren't in class, happy to show off her heritage because she wasn't ashamed to be called a Tinker. She felt that old confidence that she had all stir inside her and it helped her relax even further. Moving with the asari, the maiden laughed as they moved around each other in the space they had. Her laugher was infectious and Abby grinned, winking at the maiden as she continued moving, happy that she had taken the chance to come onto the dance floor. She had lost track of where Kelly was and hoped that the young woman wouldn't be too worried about her. _Just one dance,_ she thought. _It will only be one dance, I haven't done this in years..._

Moving to the rhythm, Abby felt more than saw the maiden move in behind her, reaching up to take her hands which she had lifted above her head. Her fingers first caressed Abby's palm, making her hands twitch involuntarily. Then, she moved her hands down Abby's wrists, trailing them down her arms, down her back and finally on her hips so that she could prompt her to turn around again. The touch was too intimate to be a stranger's, the warm pulse of recognition too familiar for Abby to hold any doubts about who it was. Although she should've expected it, she was still surprised to realize that it was Asura who had turned her around, dressed the same way as the young maiden who was now nowhere in sight. She missed a step immediately but the asari kept her hands on her hips, guiding her into the rhythm again. Her gaze was ageless as she stared at Abby, sad and filled with wonder.

The vet's mouth went dry and she wanted to step away but Asura shook her head ever so slightly. "Don't move away," she whispered. "Please, dance with me. I promise I won't hurt you Abby, I promise."

Horror, excitement and the ever presence rush of calm washed over her as she stared into the woman's eyes. Her limps felt less heavy as she nodded slowly and continued to move with the Ardat Yakshi, her eyes never leaving the asari's face. It began to feel as if the whole dance floor was disappearing around them and they were the only people present in the world.

"How did you find me?" Abby whispered, staring into Asura's indigo eyes. The asari was just as beautiful as she remembered, her eyes shining with appreciation as she stared at Abby. She didn't answer her question immediately but allowed her hands to move up briefly, running her fingers through Abby's limp hair that hung in various lengths around her ears and cheeks

"You used to have long hair," she murmured as she pulled her hand away from her face and continued dancing, stepping even closer to Abby as the rhythm changed. "Why did you shorten it? Did it hurt?"

Abby swallowed and almost missed a step again. "It... No," she said. "No, it doesn't. Hair is... dead. Not like your... It's not the same."

Asura smiled at the notion and shook her head. "Then why did you cut it?" she said. "It was... exquisite when you were younger. And it... curled. Like twine."

For a moment Abby forgot who she was dancing with as she laughed and shook her head. "So was I," she said. "But things change. I curled them artificially in those years. I had the patience and time to do it. When I did more running I..." She trailed off and shook her head, forcing herself to focus on the Ardat Yakshi.

"How did you find me Asura?"

Realizing that she wasn't going to let the subject drop, Asura shrugged, moving a little bit away from Abby. "I suspected that the Normandy would come here after you've been to Tetra," she said. "I've been waiting."

Abby's mouth tightened and she had to keep her one arm close to her chest as a tremor passed through it when she felt a rush of fear. "Why?" she asked. "What do you want from me Asura?"

The asari frowned at her and considered her answer. Looking around, she moved closer to Abby and wrapped her arms around her, moving her down to the floor in such a way which had their legs entwine for a brief moment. "You're different than everybody here," she said, crouching down out of sight. "Not just because you survived my touch, but because of your memories. I want to get to know you Abby. You have been the first light that I've had in my life for the past year. Do you know what hope is?"

Abby shivered, their bodies pressed tightly against each other as people danced around them. "No," she said softly. "Not anymore."

Asura smiled sadly. "I didn't either," she said softly. "Till I met you. We have to finish here, your people are starting to look for you. But, do me a favour and meet me later tonight. Alone. I promise I won't hurt you. I won't let anybody near you. But, there are things that we need to talk about."

Abby lost her balance without warning and fell backward, her ankles giving way below her. Asura pulled her closer to her though and held her, her arms securely wrapped around the woman as her body shivered in an effort to regain control of her limbs.

"I'll..." She closed her eyes and tried to think, praying that Asura wasn't influencing her. "I'll try," she said. "It... I'll try."

She felt Asura's arms relax and the asari's grip changed from a steadying hold to an embrace. "Thank you," she whispered and glanced behind her. "Meet me near the rambling prophet in the apartments. I'll find you there." The young maiden appeared in the mass of bodies around them and came closer, bending down and taking Asura's place. Abby numbly allowed the young asari to pull her up, loosing sight of Asura immediately. She didn't say anything as the asari led her out of the crowd to where she had left her wine.

"Don't drink the wine," the asari laughed loudly. "I've kept you away from it for too long. Thank you for the dance. "

Abby was still shaken from her encounter with the asari and could merely look at her as she squeezed her hand. "You're a good dancer," the maiden continued and made a motion to the barman to pour Abby another drink. "It was really a pleasure." She smiled at Kelly and Jack who came closer, their gazes tight when they looked at Abby. She couldn't tell whether they had seen her with Asura, but she saw that they were worried. When they looked at the maiden they relaxed visibly and even gave Abby a sly look when the asari kissed her on the cheek, winked at her friends and disappeared back to the dance floor.

"I take it that _wasn't_ Asura," Jack said dryly as she watched the alien leave. "Aria was right, you're a wild one Abby."

Abby blinked and glanced back to the disappearing maiden. "I ah... No," she said. "No that wasn't Asura it... She... I didn't get her name. I'm sorry, she asked me to dance and..."

Kelly breathed a sigh of relief. "We lost you there for a second," she said. "But, we're glad it was to fun. She looked nice. You said you didn't dance!" The last was said in an accusing tone.

Abby tried to take a steadying breath and sat down; taking the glass of wine the barman had poured her. "I don't," she said. "But she... was persuasive. I'm sorry, I tried to get your attention but..."

"No harm done," Jack said dryly. "Are you okay Doc? You look a little shaky."

Abby snorted and gave Jack a look. "More than usual?" she commented then smiled. "No, I'm fine. I'm just tired. It... that took a lot out of me. I don't normally dance but she was so... persuasive."

Kelly and Jack shared a look which would've irritated Abby under any other circumstances. "Why don't we get out of here?" Jack said. "I'm fucking tired of being hit on by these bloody back water, inbred morons. And you _really_ don't want to go back with that turian." She sniffed at Kelly and turned back to Abby. "Ready to leave?"

"Yes," Abby said immediately and pushed the wine away. "Please." She noticed that Kelly looked disappointed and quickly smiled at her. "Why don't you stay here? I can see you don't want to go."

The yeoman seemed torn between the need to accompany them and remain in the club for a little longer. Jack waved her off and motioned to Abby to follow her. "Stay Kelly," she said. "We'll make it back to the Normandy without your help. Come on Doc, we're not going to get there any sooner if we hang around here." She started walking without another word.

Kelly smiled at her amused and turned back to Abby, surprising the vet by putting an arm around her and briefly resting her head on her shoulder. "I think she's starting to like you," she pointed out. "I'm only staying for one more dance then I'll join you guys. Shepard's left as well I think. I hope you had a good time Abby. We got a fright when we couldn't find you – but I'm glad..." She chuckled. "I'm glad you found a _maiden_ to entertain you."

Abby chuckled and shook her head. "That sounds like more fun someone like me should be having," she said. "But... I did Kelly, thank you. I'm sorry for scaring you." She glanced towards the door to see Jack waiting for her, her face fixed in a permanent scowl. "I have to go."

Kelly grinned and started heading back to the dance floor, the large turian waiting for her.

"So do I," she said mischievously. "I'll see you on the Normandy."

* * *

><p>"<strong>Boy," Kasumi said as she strolled into their communal room. <strong>"I don't know about you but I'm beat, what a day!"

Abby looked up from the page that she had been staring at for the past hour and managed to muster a smile for Kasumi. She had not seen the woman all day and wondered where she had gone to. She had entertained herself with Kasumi coming back with bags of goodies she had collected all through Omega and had wondered what the penalty was for thievery in these parts of the galaxy. She couldn't see Aria caring enough over to do anything about petty thieves and had decided that it was probably left up to the individual wronged to deliver their own justice.

"You haven't been around," Abby said with a small smile. "Stole anything interesting?"

Kasumi chuckled and sat down on the couch beside Abby, taking the book from her hands to see what she was reading. She was still busy with Dr. Chakwas's physiology book, though she had not done any actual reading ever since she came back with Jack, her mind focused on Asura.

"A question after my own heart," she said. "But no, not today. I have found many interesting potential acquisitions but none that I needed to lay my hands on immediately." She hesitated. "How did your day go?"

Abby took the book back from her and closed it on her lap, studying the thief. "You already know the answer to that question, don't you?" she said with a small smile making Kasumi blush as she took off her hood. Abby realized with a start that she had had her hair cut so that it was now only about a quarter of an inch longer than Jack's.

"I have a confession to make," she said. "I followed you when you were out with Chakwas and Garrus. I didn't trust them to take care of you."

Abby chuckled and shrugged, still staring at Kasumi's hair. She remembered the way it felt when Asura ran her fingers through hers and had to stop herself from reaching up and touching her head.

"That's alright," she said. "Did you manage to get into the club?"

Kasumi shook her head immediately. "No," she confessed. "But I hung around afterwards to see who was going to come out of it. We were afraid that Asura might've approached you there. Are you alright Abby? I know these memories are tough on you."

Abby smiled and shook her head dismissively. "None of them can be as traumatic as the ones that I had on Tetra," she pointed out. "The rest are… Information. Background. I'm fine Kasumi, really. Were you at the club?"

The thief shook her head. "No," she said. "I went to go see a man about a dog."

"Statue?" Abby quickly queried, remembering that it had been Kasumi's excuse on Illium as well. The thief chuckled and nodded, taking out a small data pad from her pocket and placing it in Abby's hands.

"Yes," the thief said, calling up the image of an old Egyptian statue. "It is of Anubis, one of the old gods of the underworld and in these parts, it's worth a fortune. One of my clients would like to acquire it, he's been looking for it for ages and finally found a lead. I found another today and pursued it after you went out with Shepard." She grinned. "It's close."

Abby stared at the picture, thinking of the first time she went to the Natural History Museum in London and wondered whether it still existed in this time and place.

"Are you going to try and get it?" she queried, seeing a look of exhilaration and regret pass through Kasumi's features.

"Yes," the thief said simply, smiling at her as if she expected Abby to know what else she was trying to say.

Clutching the data pad, Abby blinked suddenly and stared at the photo. "You're leaving the Normandy," she said softly, feeling her heart ache when Kasumi nodded sadly.

"For a while," Kasumi confessed. "I'm of no use at the moment Abby. Shepard doesn't need me now, I'd have been gone already had it not been for your arrival." She smiled at the vet. "You made things a little bit more interesting around here."

Abby was surprised to realize that she had a lump in her throat when she turned her gaze back to the thief. "When?" She managed to say in a relatively steady voice but she could tell by the way that Kasumi smiled at her that the woman knew she wasn't taking the news very well.

"Within the next week or two," she said. "Earlier if… other things resolve themselves. It depends."

Swallowing, Abby looked away from her and back to the picture, tracing her fingers around the frame. "Does Shepard know?" she queried to which Kasumi nodded.

"Yes," the thief nodded. "She's known for a while that I was planning on going. When we returned from the Collector base she gave all of us leave to go our own way. An assassin, Thane Krios, left immediately. He has… a condition and I think he wanted to spend as much time with his son as he could. And we both know Samara's leaving as soon as she cuts herself off from Shepard." Her eyes saddened. "We're not abandoning Jane, but we can't just wait around for the galaxy to end. We'll join her again when she needs us."

Abby didn't know what else to say. She had become so used to having Kasumi around that she never considered that the thief might well leave here before she did. It brought home the thoughts that she had been playing around with ever since she returned to the Normandy, that she didn't know what she was doing here and what more she needed to do. Kasumi studied her, her features softening.

"Look on the bright side," she said happily. "You'll get the bed then. And I'm leaving my books here so you don't have to stare at pictures of naked aliens all day."

That made her laugh, but when she tried to come up with a witty comeback Abby realized that her throat had tightened with tears and they were threatening on the surface. "I don't…" She had to swallow. "Mind the couch. The room would be empty."

Kasumi chuckled but leaned forward and embraced her, making a soothing sound as the tears Abby had tried to hold back started trailing down her cheeks. "You haven't slept on my bed," she said and rubbed her back as Abby allowed herself to be pulled closer to the thief. "It's divine. It will be alright Abby, I'll keep in contact and I'll come back. We'll see each other again. You don't have to worry. Things will sort themselves out before long."

Abby chuckled, but couldn't stop the tears from trailing down her cheeks. "I know," she said and sniffed. "I have… faith in Shepard. I'm just going to miss you. You were very good to me Kasumi, I can't thank you enough for your support."

There was a pause as she felt Kasumi's hold on her tighten. "You can thank me by trying to convince Gardner to make us some ramen," she said with a laugh and let go of Abby, pushing away from her. Her eyes were moist as well and she carefully reached out and wiped away some of Abby's tears. "You are a good woman Abby. Don't worry so much, okay? We'll take care of you no matter what."

Abby nodded and took a steadying breath, pushing herself up and holding her hand out to thief. "Ramen you said?" She tried to smile, acting as if everything was alright and normal. "I haven't had it in ages."

The thief chuckled and took Abby's hand, allowing herself to be pulled up by the woman. "I _love_ ramen," she said happily. "My grandmother used to make it… Here, I'll take that."

She took the data pad from Abby and tossed it to the couch. Abby stared at it, a memory shifting in her mind's eye. She held onto it, but didn't react as she allowed Kasumi to pull her out of the room…

**The End of Chapter 35**


	36. Chapter 36

_**AN: Thank you everybody for reviewing. I appreciate all of them; I've just been very busy and haven't been able to reply individually. :) It's not that I don't appreciate them; I'll shower you with praises later. ;) Thank you for your patience and to everybody still reading this story. **_

**In Answer**

**It was very late when Abby finally pushed herself up and slowly moved to the door in the darkness of their room.** Kasumi sat up immediately, as she always did when Abby moved, and asked in a soft voice.

"Are you alright?"

Abby, remembering her first night here and the nightmare she had had, nodded and made a soothing sound. "Yes Kasumi," she said. "I'm just going to the loo. And, if Samara's awake – I want to ask her something. Go back to sleep."

The thief made a considering sound as she settled back again. "Be careful of Samara," she said. "She's had a long day out and she's in a strange mood. You know that this was where her daughter died?"

Abby grimaced and nodded. "I do," she said – remembering the scene from her loyalty mission when she had played the game. "It won't take long. You don't have to wait for me." She carefully took her shoes which she had put by the door and opened it. "Good night Kasumi."

The thief murmured something, but was already slipping back into her dreams. She was incredible in that she could sleep whenever she needed to, but wake up on a moment's notice. She had told Abby that it was because she has spent most of her life stowing away on ships and catching a wink where she could. Abby loved that she took such pride in her work, even if she was a criminal.

Abby closed the door behind her and went into the ladies room where she had been given a small locker in which to keep her clothes. She took out a plain set of pants and pulled a loose shirt over her head. She had forgotten the jacket that she had worn on Omega in her room but she wasn't going to go back in. So, she rather put on her sturdy hiking shoes which she had arrived in and went back outside. She didn't go to Samara but rather moved to the elevator immediately. There was nobody around to see her enter as the ship was in its night cycle and most of the crew were either on still on Omega or sleeping off the side effects of their visit.

When the elevator door closed behind her and she asked it to travel to the second level, Abby took a deep breath and leaned against the wall, hugging her chest and very aware of how shaky her hands were. _This is the right thing to do,_ she found herself thinking. _This isn't really anybody's business but mine... And, if I make another mistake..._

She shivered as the door opened and quickly moved over the quiet CIC area, grateful that there was nobody around. She would've hated to answer any unnecessary questions as they might attract more attention to her than what she needed. She went to the airlock, happy to see that the bridge was also empty and tried to open the door. It didn't open and it dawned on Abby that she didn't know whether it had a code or not.

"Dr. Gable, where are you going?"

EDI's voice startled Abby and she threw her hands up over her mouth to stop herself from yelping in surprise. Looking around, she closed the door leading to the Normandy. When she turned back to the door she realized that EDI's avatar was in the room with her. It was strange but she felt as if the AI was staring at her.

"EDI," she said. "You... You startled me."

The AI was silent for a few moments. "I am always present Dr. Gable," she said simply. "You should know this by now."

Abby smiled and looked at the door. "Err, yes," she said. "EDI – could you... Would it be possible for you to open this door for me?"

There was a very dry undertone in EDI's voice as she replied. "It would be as it is a simple process."

Abby had to refrain herself from rolling her eyes and swallowed, looking at the door. "EDI, I need to go out for a moment or two," she said. "Can you please open the door for me? I'll be back."

The door's lock remained red. "EDI?" Abby queried again, her heart missing a beat. "You haven't just told anybody that I'm here, have you?"

"Not yet," the AI answered simply. "Shepard is asleep and has not received the message on her terminal. Shall I call her?"

"No!" Abby said quickly. "No EDI, please keep Shepard and the rest of the crew out of this. I'm going out on my own business. Could you please open the door?"

The AI's visual frame narrowed slightly as if she was glaring at Abby. "No," she said. "I am to report all suspicious crew activity to Officer Lawson and Commander Shepard. Your wish to leave the Normandy without an escort is very suspicious."

Abby closed her eyes and tried to find a way to reason with the AI. Appealing to her better nature might have a disastrous outcome as she was still a machine. But, machines were hard to reason with unless... She blinked and decided to take a gamble.

"EDI, you've been ordered to report any suspicious crew activity," she pointed out. "But I'm not on the crew manifest. Technically, I am not your responsibility."

The AI paused, telling Abby that she was either calling Shepard or processing Abby's statement.

"You are not on the manifest," she said sounding put off. Abby kept her face neutral, knowing that she had hardly won the battle yet.

"No," she said. "Nor am I on the crew. Your duty is to act in the best interest of the crew. To protect them. You're a defence mechanism."

"Yes." EDI said simply and if she was human, Abby would've thought that her tone of voice suggested that she wasn't quite sure where Abby was going with this conversation. Biting her lip, Abby motioned to the door.

"EDI," she said softly. "I'm not on the crew, so it's not in your best interest to protect me. You've seen that... ever since I've been here people have gotten hurt. Jack, Shepard, Grunt – they would not have gotten hurt if not for me. The longer I stay here, the longer they will be in danger. The more people who go out with me, the larger the percentage of people exposed to danger. It's in the crews' best interest if I go out alone. Please EDI, I want to get this business sorted and I don't want to see anybody else get hurt. Please just let me go. And don't wake Shepard." It felt like a betrayal saying it out loud. The Commander had been nothing but good to Abby ever since she arrived. She even liked to think that they had become friends, though neither of them were the sort to let anybody get too close. The thought of leaving the Normandy without any back up scared her more than she could say – but she knew that if she wanted to see Asura, she had to do so alone.

EDI didn't answer but the red lock on the door suddenly turned green as it opened. Abby breathed a sigh of relief, almost crying with joy as she turned back to the avatar.

"Thank you EDI," she breathed. "Another thing... If... Just..." She struggled and took a data pad that she had gotten from Chakwas to make "physiology notes" from the book. "See that Shepard gets this. I'm leaving it... Here." EDI didn't have hands to entrust the data pad to so she put it on the floor. "But, give it to her when she wakes up and I'm not back yet. Please." Her voice was shaking and the data pad dropped from her hands as she tried to put it on the floor gently.

"Dr. Gable?" The AI asked suddenly, the first words she spoke ever since she had opened the door for Abby. "Do you plan on returning here?"

Abby took a quick breath and shook her head, though the gesture wasn't in denial. "I don't know," she admitted. "This is the only place that I have, but I don't belong here EDI. I don't know where I belong, but it's not here. I just... I can't stay here the whole time and wait for my life to decided for me. For people and situations to just drop into my lap. I have to understand what's happening here. And... and if it means leaving..." She suddenly felt like crying and turned to door. "I have to go EDI." She paused. "Have you told anybody that I'm leaving?"

The AI's reply was short. "No," she said. "But I will in five minutes."

Realising that it was her only chance, Abby closed her eyes and hurried off of the Normandy, bolting down the long passageway that led to Omega.

* * *

><p><strong>Omega was just as busy as it had been earlier in the day when they went out with Chakwas.<strong> Abby rushed through the crowds, trusting that she would be able to find her way to the apartments. The ship had not docked in the port that the game had used, but she had gotten a good feeling of the place when she left with Chakwas earlier. She made a beeline to Afterlife's main entrance and there looked around until she saw a sign leading towards the apartments. She was about to run that way when an arm slipped into hers, pulling her back with a laugh.

Abby yelped and turned abruptly, losing her footing when she saw that it was Asura but asari held her up, her eyes bright.

"You came," she breathed. "I didn't think you would. I've been waiting and..."

Abby looked at her and tried to work some moisture back into her mouth as she struggled to get her balance. "They'll come looking for me soon," she said, feeling giddy with anticipation. "We... if you want to talk alone... We have to go." She was shaking and had to lean against the asari for support.

Asura nodded and began to steer her in the direction of the apartments. "Don't worry," she said. "I know where we'll have some privacy. Come on."

She guided her forward, her touch confident and secure. Abby clung to her as if she was her last salvation, frightened of letting her go, terrified of what she was about to do. She glanced back to see if anybody was following her, but saw nobody familiar in the crowd. She wondered suddenly if she had made a mistake but she knew that it was too late. Asura seemed too determined to talk to her to let her go and Abby herself needed answers. So, she allowed the woman to guide her forward, quickly loosing track of where they were going as they went into the markets and wove through the dozens of merchant stalls. Asura took them to an elevator and punched in a code. The asari's gaze was alert as she kept scanning the crowds for any sign of pursuit and it was only when they were in the elevator that both Asura and Abby allowed themselves to breathe a sigh of relief. Abby closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax against the asari, willing the woman's presence to sooth her. In that moment she didn't care whether it was a form of manipulation or not, she just needed to feel that she was going to be alright. Asura made a soothing sound and draped an arm around Abby, giving her a brief, sideways hug.

"We're alright now," she said. "It will be difficult for anybody to follow us up here." She paused, awkward suddenly. "Thank you for coming Abby, I appreciate that you're giving me this chance."

Abby shivered and let out a shaky breath, not daring to look at the asari. "I had to," she whispered. "I had to know... I need to know you." She bit her lip and briefly glanced up at the taller alien. "I don't know why I'm here."

Asura chuckled and squeezed Abby's hand. "I'm still glad you are," she said as the elevator opened. "Come on."

They stepped out onto a level that was considerably less populated than the one they had just come from. Thinking that she had now really gone off the edge of the known map, Abby allowed Asura to take her hand and pull her forward, feeling strangely self-conscious of the woman's hand in hers.

_Asari,_ Abby scolded herself. _They're not women. Not really. They don't have any sex..._

"You're tired," Asura said softly as she felt the woman's hand in hers tighten. "Are you alright?"

Abby breathed out slowly and nodded. "It's been a long day," she said softly, thinking that it truly felt like an age ago that she found herself in that bar with Lenelle. "I've had to process a lot of things. But I'm fine. Don't worry." She said the last automatically as she did always, though her heart wasn't in it. Now that she was alone with Asura, she couldn't help but feel that she had made a mistake to come here alone.

"Are you hungry?" Asura asked out of the blue. "There are much better stalls up here than down on the common level. There is even a ramen stall, I hear you humans like that."

Abby blinked and wondered how this had suddenly gone to feeling like a first date. "Ah... No. Thank you," she said. "No, I'm fine. I've just had a meal. It's... okay if you're hungry though. Please get something." She was nervous as hell and didn't take any comfort from the fact that Asura wasn't acting as confident as she had before. She too seemed nervous, as if she didn't quite know what to do with her.

The asari gave her a sideways glance, a thought crossing her features though she didn't voice it. It alerted Abby immediately as she frowned at her and pulled away from her touch. She had seen that look many times before in her old life.

"What is it?" she said, perhaps a little bit too sharp. "I can see you want to ask me something."

Asura raised her brow and pursed her lips, taking a step back so that she could give Abby some space. She looked down at her hands then returned her indigo eyes to Abby's.

"From your memories," she said softly. "I got the impression that you were very ill. I found myself thinking that if you are indeed suffering from some kind of sickness, you should eat to keep your strength up. But I know from memory that saying this to you, that telling you what you should and should not do makes you as mad as you are now."

The revelation came like a shock, as if she saw a reflection of herself where she least expected it. Abby's anger came and went, replaced by a cold pit of shock as it dawned on her again that Asura too held some of her memories. She sniffed and turned away from the asari, not sure what to say. Finally, trying to hold onto some semblance of her anger so that she did not appear too unsettled, she turned back to her and made a rough gesture with her hand.

"Right," she said shortly. "Let's get this out of the way shall we? Because I think it's a question that's been haunting you ever since you first lay your hands on me. The reason I survived your touch is because I have a genetic affliction called Huntington's Disease. To my knowledge only humans get it and the way everybody's been reacting, I'm the _only_ human who have it here. It causes nerve damage within my body which seemed to have acted like some sort of buffer to your power. That's why I'm still standing here and why you were able to meld with me." She sniffed. "If that's the only reason you wanted to talk to me then you let me go back to the Normandy right now."

To her surprise, Asura burst out laughing. It was a rich, wonderful sound which she remembered from her dreams when she was playing with Risha. The asari leaned forward and caressed her cheek in a gesture that was far too intimate for Abby. She stepped back and crossed her arms, glaring at the asari who gave her a kind smile.

"It's not the only reason I wanted you here Abby," she said softly. "Though, it's good to know, it's been… on my mind a lot. You can relax, you are the only person in the galaxy that's truly safe from me. I won't harm you." She chuckled. "I tried, remember?"

Her tone made Abby even angrier. "That's not funny," she snapped. "And it wasn't a pleasant gesture Asura. You bloody well almost killed me! And then… _Then_ you try and take me with you which led the mercenaries to take me with _them_. Do you have any idea what they did to me there? If it wasn't for Shepard, I'd have been dead anyway!"

Asura seemed surprised by her anger and made a soothing gesture with her hand. "Not so loud Abby," she said softly. "Please, calm down. I am truly sorry for everything that you've experienced here. Trust me, it was never my intention to harm you. Even when I tried to kill you. I didn't… do it because I wanted to. I was just in a very bad situation on that planet."

Abby glared at her, but forced herself to relax and control her temper. She felt her arm jerk as she tried to regain control of her emotions and it made her even angrier when she saw that Asura noticed the gesture immediately even though she didn't comment on it. Turning away from her, Abby took a couple of steps forward, thinking that she should just return to the Normandy and beg for Shepard's forgiveness. But, Asura's eyes on her back made her stop and she turned around again, looking at the alien.

She hated to admit it, but the Ardat Yakshi was like a magnet. Despite everything that she had suffered at her hands, she found herself stepping towards her again and relaxing her arms as she took a calming breath. When Asura met her gaze she kept her expression neutral as she asked simply.

"Are you controlling me?"

The asari's eyes were sad when she shook her head. "I try not to," she said softly. "You have to believe me. I don't want to hold any influence over you Abby, you are far too precious to me. Some things are unconscious, the fact that I can let you feel at ease in my company. The way I could sooth you when we were on Banrio with my touch. But, I don't want to control you, I haven't even tried."

The anger that she had felt soon gave way to frustration as Abby shook her head. "Then why do I find myself coming to you even though I know it's a bad idea," she asked softly. "Why is it then that I find myself wanting to be in your company? That I can't walk away from you even though I know I should?"

Asura's eyes were soft when she took a step closer to Abby. "That's what I want to find out as well," she said softly. "You are unique Abby. Your memories have shown me some fragments of your life and I wish to know more. From you. I have questions for you, and you have questions for me – otherwise you would not be here. Would you trust me to take you to a place where we can sit and have a drink? It doesn't have to be alcohol and you can leave any time you want. I'll take you back to the Normandy, safely."

Again, she should've said no. Abby could feel her common sense trying to scream at her that she should go back to the Normandy regardless but instead she found herself nodding and took the hand that Asura offered her.

"I'm here, aren't I?" she said softly. "I might as well hear what you have to say."

* * *

><p><strong>The strange thing was that it was easier for the two of them to be quiet together than it was to talk.<strong> Abby sat in a booth of a small restaurant with Asura, staring at the cup of spiced tea that the asari had ordered for her. Or at least, it smelled like spiced tea but she had called it something else. Abby couldn't remember – she had not been paying attention. Sighing softly, taking a steadying breath, she turned her attention back to Asura, watching the way the asari stirred her tea while watching the rest of the shop. She looked alert and tired at the same time. Yet, when she smiled at Abby her features softened and they became... genuine as if she allowed Abby to see a little of herself that she allowed nobody else to witness. As if her very smile was a secret that she shared only with her.

Shivering, remembering how it felt when the asari touched her, Abby closed her eyes and took a small sip of her tea. It wasn't unpleasant and it grounded her a little, making it possible for her to think of something other than the alien's touch.

"Tell me of Banrio," she said, thinking that if she didn't start the conversation now she'd loose her nerve. "What happened there Asura? I got the impression that those people were your friends."

Asura smiled slightly and nodded, inclining her head in a regal gesture. "In a way," she said. "Though, it would be better to describe them as family. Maon and Risha are half siblings who share the same father. Although we lived on our own, we have always kept contact with the family. Through the course of this year, when things got to rough or I needed to lay low, I'd go to them." Her face darkened. "Things went well the first two times but... Those mercenaries found me. They thought that they could flush me out by attacking the whole base. They almost managed..." Her gaze turned to Abby. "They would've if you hadn't shown up. I don't know how they came to know of the place. It's made me... very irritated."

Abby frowned at her and turned her attention back to her tea, staring at it for a while as she formulated her next question. "Why did you decide to kill me?" she asked levelly, though she felt her heart rate increase. "You could've just left me Asura. Knowing your name isn't the end of the world. If you had just left it, those mercenaries would've killed me regardless, they were very trigger happy."

Asura's mouth thinned into a humourless smile as she shook her head. "First you can answer one of my questions," she said. "As I've answered yours. It's only fair."

Abby didn't think that anything was quite fair with the asari but she kept her opinion to herself and shrugged. "Al right," she said softly. "Ask away."

The asari's gaze became sharper as she stared at her, her gaze narrowing to a look of intense concentration. Abby took care not to show too much emotion, but the woman's gaze made her uncomfortable.

"Tell me what happened to you on Banrio," Asura said softly. "And before. How did you get there Abby? And why did you try to kill yourself?"

Abby froze and shivered, her hand jerking involuntarily, knocking over her cup and spilling the hot drink all over their table. She got up quickly, surprised and flustered but even before she could pick up her cup a waitress came and cleaned it. The chaos was over in minutes and through all of this Asura just watched her. When the waitress started to leave she motioned to her to bring another drink with only the slightest movement of her hand. The female batarian nodded and disappeared while Abby was still standing, staring at Asura. She clasped her hands and sat down again willing herself to relax.

"How do you know about that?" she queried. "It... I haven't discussed it with anybody. _Anybody_. Nobody knows."

Asura grimaced as she confirmed the memory and leaned over to touch Abby's hands but the vet pulled away from her and sniffed sharply.

"How do you know Asura?"

The Ardat Yakshi grimaced as she sat back and made a defeated gesture with her hand. "I saw it," she said simply. "In one of your dreams or rather – one of my dreams and one of your memories. That memory and the one of you in Banrio coincide. They run parallel with each other. I don't understand what happened there Abby."

Abby snorted and shook her head in shocked disbelief. When the waitress brought her another cup of tea, she didn't dare touch it.

"Neither do I," she said finally. "I don't understand a thing. I should be dead right now. And as for why?" She paused and shook her head, fighting down the urge to cry. "I did it because I still could. But it didn't seem to have helped me at all."

* * *

><p><strong>Dr. Abigail Gable stared at the open door, seeing the retreating figures of her assistant Kaylee and her dog.<strong> _She'll take care of him,_ she thought as she started heading up the stairs, carefully keeping her hand on the railing. She kept expecting to stumble as she had so many times before but she was surprisingly steady as she moved up. In a surreal way, she felt completely in control. She went to her bathroom and washed her face, taking a good, long look at her gaunt features. She had not been eating well in the past couple of months.

Grimacing she took extra care to clean up the bathroom, opened up all the windows then went through her bedroom and did the same, making sure every surface was clean and everything was where it should be. She would've wanted to do more packing up but it was too late now. She had no more time.

Going to her dresser, she took out a box that she had hidden underneath all her winter jumpers and carried it to her bed. She sat there with it in her lap, watching her hands as they clasped and unclasped the ridges. She glanced at the time and grimaced. Opening the box, she took out an IV bag, a set of needles and several bottles of tranquilizers that she had taken from the clinic. She had been collecting them for months, careful not to attract any suspicion from her staff. She was glad that she had started early because in the past month she had noticed that her work partner was extra careful with cataloguing the pain medication and sedatives. For a few moments, she wasn't quite sure what to do, how to proceed. She had not given her actions a lot of thought because she didn't want to waste the last of her life thinking about her death but now, it seemed rather important. She drew up most of the medication and injected it into the IV bag, still surprised by how steady her movements were. Then, she took a deep breath, pulled up her pant leg and slipped the needle catheter into one of her veins. It was the easiest place to find a vein and it was bitter irony that she did so immediacy even though it was technically the first time she had ever done it on a human. _Works if you don't have to shave off any fur,_ she thought bitterly then laughed at her joke. She looked at her handiwork for a long time, then took a deep breath and connected the IV line to the needle.

_It's meant to be,_ she thought as she started the flow. _Why else would it be this easy?_

**The End of Chapter 36**


	37. Chapter 37

_**AN: For Zim, who stalked me till I posted this. Also: A disclaimer. Some of the views portrayed in this chapter are character specific. I hold the highest regard for anybody in the genetic counselling profession. The opinions expressed here are Abby's not the truth and reality. Please keep that in mind. **_

**A Dialogue**

**Kasumi woke up to the darkness of her silent room.** Not hearing Abby move, she wondered what woke her and why she had not woken up when the woman returned from Samara. When she spend some more time listening she realized that she hadn't heard the woman move at _all_ and wondered why she had not returned yet. A glance at her omni-tool told her she had been gone for quite a while. Frowning, Kasumi got up and pulled on her hood, leaving the room in only her night clothes. The common room was very quiet as she crossed the hall and a quick glance around the corner showed her that she was the only person around.

She went to Samara's room, surprised to find it locked. _What were they doing in there?_ She thought and knocked, wondering what she would find. When Samara didn't respond immediately she pressed the caller button on the door and waited. It took several minutes for the door to open and, when she looked at the confused and slightly dishevelled features of the Justicar when she finally stuck her head out Kasumi knew with a touch of dread that Abby wasn't here.

"Samara," she queried. "Sorry for waking you, did Abby come here a while ago?"

The Justicar frowned and rubbed her eyes, shaking her head in the process. "No Kasumi," she said tiredly. "It's the middle of the night and Dr. Gable doesn't have a lot to say to me."

Kasumi's mouth thinned as she looked into the room. "She said that she was coming here," she pointed out. "I fell asleep again and didn't think to check up on her. She hasn't come back yet."

Samara frowned and straightened up a little, turning so that she could face a console in her room. "EDI," she said, waiting for the avatar to materialize. Kasumi wasn't sure whether it was her imagination but she got the distinct impression that the AI took a fraction of a second longer to respond than she normally does.

"Yes Justicar," she said simply as her blue icon appeared. "With what can I help you?"

Samara frowned at the AI as if she too had noticed the lag in appearance. "EDI," she said sharply. "Where is Dr. Gable?"

* * *

><p>"<strong>They try to counsel you," Abby was saying to Asura as the Ardat Yakshi watched her, her indigo eyes devoid of any emotion as she studied the way Abby's hands shook as she spoke to her, using them to emphasise her words.<strong> "While you're still reeling from this bomb that they've dropped on your life, your doctor takes you to a meeting with other patients and expect you to sit there and make peace with the fact that you will never have the life you dreamt that you would have. They call it rehabilitation. They call it support groups. I called it the biggest lie of my time." There was anger in her words, so close to the surface. It was an old anger though one that had never quite built up to rage. "They take your family in there with you," Abby continued. "They counsel you, keeping telling you that there are ways of accepting this, of having a full life. They get patients who have already been indoctrinated to the lie to sit there with you and speak of their acceptance. I hated it, I hated all of it." She sniffed and clenched her hands together. "At first my whole family attended while they were waiting for the results on my brother's test and those of his daughters. In those first weeks I got the impression that he was angry with _me_ for bringing this into their lives. It was as if he would blame _me_ personally if he or his children was diagnosed. They had just had their second child and if he had it, the chances would've been very good that they'd have it as well." Abby sighed and shrugged, looking away from Asura. "They were clean though and they stopped going to the meetings right there and then though offered their support to me in hollow words of encouragement. The truth was that they were so relieved that it wasn't a part of their lives that they didn't want to face anything else to do with it, including me. I didn't blame them of course; I'd have done anything to get away from it myself." She sniffed and shifted, unclenching her hands again.

Asura's eyes were unreadable as she studied Abby's movements. "Did you try and take your life soon after?" she queried to which Abby immediately shook her head.

"No," she said. "I've had this for a couple of years. The symptoms aren't immediately crippling. It's a slow decline. Or, the rate of decline depends from person to person. In the beginning I tried to believe the lie that they were going to tell me but I soon realized that my life was..." She struggled to find the word. "Shattered. They said it was depression and that I just had to take the right medication and my whole perception would change but..." she shook her head. "I knew it was a lie. I didn't want to live that lie of pretending to be alright, of pretending to cope. I wanted a way out and I started preparing for it. I knew from the beginning that I was going to commit suicide; this disease has one of the highest rates because there's really no real cure that they can offer us. My father had done so when he was just a little older than I am now. I had thought, dramatically I'll admit, that I was just going to honour his legacy."

She chuckled bitterly and trailed off, staring at her tea wondering if she would dare reach to it. She eventually decided to take the chance and carefully enfolded her hands around it, bringing it to her lips and taking a slow sip. Asura watched her every move as if she was trying to anticipate what was going to happen next, as if she wanted to draw Abby into her mind and keep her there.

"What happened that night?" she queried. "Did someone find you? Did you try and do it on Banrio when the mercenaries attacked?"

Abby hesitated and shook her head, not looking at Asura as she shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I really don't know. I thought I had died Asura. I mean... I felt myself fall asleep and then... the next thing I know I'm here. I don't know what happened in between. I don't think I want to know. I can say in all honesty that how I got here is as much a mystery to me as it is for everybody else. For all I know I've been abducted by aliens." She chuckled suddenly. "There was this show where I came from called the 4400. Where people just reappeared over the whole universe that had been missing for decades. I think something like that happened to me. But I can't be sure."

Asura looked at her with a touch of amusement and sat back, though her indigo eyes lost none of their intensity. "Well," she said. "I get the feeling that your world was very different than this one. Right, fair enough you can ask me another question again."

The turn of conversation took Abby by surprise as she felt herself still reeling from Asura's last statement, wondering what _exactly_ she meant by it. "Al right," she said softly. "Here's one. How many memories did we share? Do you have all of my memories or have we only shared fragments of each other's lives?"

Smiling bitterly, Asura shrugged. "I like your word choice Abigail," she said softly. "Fragments, as if we are both broken and we have exchanged pieces." Her words made Abby shiver, though she didn't show it as Asura looked past her, scanning the restaurant again. "I'm not sure," she confessed. "This is the first time that I've allowed myself to explore any memories associated with melding. Normally they were... associated with the dead and I do not let my mind dwell there. With you though... I can't say Abby. I can't access your memories at will. I see fragments of your life, cut up into pieces that are triggered by outside stimuli from my environment. I'll see stairs and remember you walking up them to take your own life. I'll go to sleep and dream that I am in a clinic, working with animals that I don't recognize. Not all of them anyway. But, I know what they are because in those moments – I am you."

Abby shivered and looked away. "It's... the same for me," she said. "I'm also you. I can hear your thoughts. Or, I think them... but not as me." She shrugged uncomfortably, feeling like a thief and taking only mild comfort from the fact that Asura also held her memories. So far, they had not been pleasant and she shuddered to think of what other horrors lay locked in the asari's mind. She didn't want to see any more killing, she had had enough of it to last her a lifetime.

"Which memories of mine have you had already?" Asura asked Abby, taking her turn to launch a question. "Could you tell me?"

Abby raised an eyebrow and sighed, thinking back. "The first one I experienced had been where you and Risha went out running or hiking I guess. She was young then, merely a child. She taunted you for liking a bug," Asura's eyes softened as she too shared the memory and Abby could _feel_ the emotions that she had felt in that time again. For a split second, she felt closer to the asari, knowing that she was thinking, knowing what she was feeling... It was a strange sensation and she shuddered, forcing her mind to turn away from the memory. _Was this what asari melding was all about?_ She thought as she stared at the asari. _Sharing parts of yourself that nobody else can share with you? Letting you spend a fraction of a moment in another person's shoes. Is that why asari do it?_ She cleared her throat when she realized that Asura was staring at her and continued quickly. "Then, I dreamt when... I saw your family get killed. All of it from the moment you and Risha hid in the room till you buried her and your mother." She changed the subject quickly. "I saw her dance, doing ballet. I liked what she said. And..." She hesitated, seeing a look of pain cross Asura's features. "Are you alright?"

The asari swallowed and briefly turned away from Abby so that she could collect herself. "I've forgotten that day," she said softly and closed her eyes, moisture threatening to flow from them. "It... that's a good memory."

Abby smiled sadly and carefully reached out to touch Asura, realizing that it was the first time she offered her own touch in comfort. She touched her hand briefly, unsure then settled her hands over Asura's. "It was," she said softly. "I will hold it close, always. It was very precious. She was a wonderful young woman. It is... I'm sorry for your loss Asura."

The asari didn't say anything but nodded, still keeping her face turned away from Abby. Sighing, Abby realized that she had another question. "Why didn't you just tell me that Risha died Asura?" she queried softly. "We didn't need to go to Tetra."

Shaking her head, Asura gathered herself and gave Abby a pointed look. "You didn't have to go," she agreed. "But I needed the Justicar and your Commander Shepard to see that. They needed to get perspective a lot more than you did. You already had it; I knew it the moment you set off to for my home."

Feeling as if she had been a tool in some fundamental manipulation Abby sighed and shook her head. "You could still have warned me Asura," she said – feeling tired. "What you did there..." She closed her eyes, wishing she could block the memory. "The XO of the Normandy, Miranda Lawson believes that you're doing this for revenge – that you're killing all the people responsible for this. Is that true?"

The asari nodded simply, watching Abby's reaction who persisted, without giving her a chance to ask her another question. "And the ambush waiting for us when we got there?" she said "Did you know of that?"

Clearly she didn't. Asura blinked surprised and sat back, staring at Abby. "You mean they attacked the Normandy?" she queried to which Abby shook her head sharply.

"No," she said. "They attacked _us_. On the planet. Their ships had been cloaked with a technology that the Normandy had not encountered before. They demanded that Shepard give me to them. They threatened us, several of the crew members got hurt."

Asura's eyes were wide as she stared at Abby. "And you?"

The vet snorted and shook her head. "No, I ran and I had people watching my back. The point is Asura, only you knew that we were going there. How did they know that we were there? And why is there a bounty on my head? I didn't do anything."

Frowning, the asari settled back a bit and shook her head. "It's not about you Abby," she said. "It's about me. I think they believe that they can use you to get at me though don't ask me how they found you. These are the same people who attacked my family. They've been after me ever since I've left home though they've learned not to confront me outright or without a _significant_ amount of support." Her eyes were cold as she scanned the room again. "I have killed many of them and it's still not enough, there seems to be more and more who are involved in this."

Abby hesitated and made a questioning motion with her hand. "Why do they want you Asura?" she queried. "They seem very determined."

The Ardat Yakshi shook her head and shrugged. "Maybe because of what I am," she said. "That's the only reason I can think of. A... friend of mine says that we are more powerful than normal asari. We can be a formidable weapon." She smiled dryly but her eyes were cold. "I have become a formidable weapon."

Abby sighed, thinking that the friend was probably Lenelle. Exhausted suddenly, she closed her eyes and briefly allowed her head to rest against her hand, feeling the tremor in it. Asura watched her with a note of concern in her eyes though in her favour, she didn't ask Abby if she was alright. The vet was tired of answering that question. Taking a deep breath, trying to clear her head, Abby looked out across the restaurant, wondering what she was going to do when they were done with this conversation. She turned back to Asura who was still studying her.

"Is there anything else that you want to know about me?" she said softly. "Anything you desperately want to know?"

Asura smiled at her, the look in her gaze gentle as she nodded. "There are a _lot_ of things I want to ask you Abigail," she said softly. "But you seem tired. We can continue this at a later stage."

Abby snorted and shook her head. "Like when?" she queried. "Tomorrow morning? Later today? I can't sneak off of the Normandy again. When I go back there, Shepard's probably going to throw me in the brig."

Asura raised a brow and stared at her, her features hesitant as she said slowly. "Or, you can come back with me?"

She should've expected the question, but it still took her by surprise. Abby blinked at Asura and shifted uncomfortably, looking away from her, frightened of answering. A part of her _did_ want to go back with the asari. She wanted to be with her, feel her touch again. Yet, she was terrified of it, of the need she suddenly felt. She knew that it had everything to do with the fact that the woman was an Ardat Yakshi and probably nothing with her own feelings. Still, she also had so much more that she wanted to know from her...

"I won't touch you," Asura said out of the blue. "You don't have to fear me Abby. I have a separate room in my apartment, you can stay there. There are clothes for you and you can take a hot bath. I won't touch you at all unless you ask me to." She paused, her eyes meeting Abby's with a hidden depth that was not there before. "Unless you want me to."

Abby's face burned as she shook her head and swallowed, the implications of Asura's words making her very uncomfortable as she struggled to think past the longing she felt suddenly to feel the woman's unique touch again. _Never again,_ she told herself, forcing her mind to return to the pain that had accompanied that pleasure. _Never. I can't... Not that. Not again._

"There's something else Asura," she said deciding to change the subject completely. "I also know about Lenelle."

She could tell immediately that she startled Asura for the alien lost all the allure she had a moment or two ago and sat back sharply, her eyes dark as she looked at Abby. "How is that possible?" she queried. "Has she approached you? Was it here?"

Abby blinked and shook her head. "No, I had a memory," she said. "Earlier today about when she approached you in the bar. You didn't want to go at first but… Then you did, I remembered that later today when I decided to come here. I saw you look at her address and go to her apartment. She gave you the names of the people that you needed to kill, didn't she?"

Asura's mouth was thin when she looked at Abby. When she broke contact, it was only to take a sip of her tea before she turned back to her. "Yes," she said quietly. "Have you told anybody of her address? Who did you tell about her?"

Realizing that she had to be very cautious of her answer, Abby shook her head. "I didn't tell anybody where she lives," she said. "I didn't think that she'd still be there. How does she know Asura? Are you just following her word blindly? What? How does she know?"

Looking away, Asura glared at the shop around them before she turned her gaze back to Abby. "Abby you shouldn't be concerned about that," she said. "My business with Lenelle is between us."

Angry suddenly, Abby pointed an accusing finger at Asura. "I trusted you to come here," she hissed. "I've probably messed up the only good thing that I had going in this world by coming here because I purposefully went behind Commander Shepard's back, even though she _asked_ me not to. She's a much better person than any of us so that's pretty big Asura. The least you can do is trust me enough to tell me about this. I want to know how she gets the names that she gives you. Otherwise I'm going back to the Normandy right now and you'll never see me again."

Asura's mouth thinned as she leaned forward, her eyes unreadable as she looked at Abby. "Are you threatening me?" she said softly.

Abby sniffed sharply and shook her head. "No Asura," she said. "I'm asking you to trust me."

The asari looked at her for a long time, then sat back suddenly with a dry laugh. "You're something else Abigail," she whispered and sighed, looking to the ceiling as she searched for words. "Yes, I get the names from Lenelle and I tend to only go after the people that she directs me at. She's better at discovering things; she's been at this a lot longer than I have. These people have been after her as well and, unlike with me, they actually managed to capture her but that allowed her to gain some inside information."

Abby hesitated not sure how to approach the subject further. "And is her information trust worthy?" she queried. "I mean, does she provide you with evidence?"

Asura shook her head but glared at Abby. "Why would she lie to me Abby?" she said. "She's just like me."

Again Abby hesitated. "You mean an Ardat Yakshi?" she queried. "She's a lot older than you are."

The asari nodded and drank the last of her tea. "She's over a thousand years old," she said. "She's been at this a while. It's… admirable."

Feeling uncomfortable, Abby shifted and drank some of her tea. She swallowed but chocked and started coughing. Asura stirred, making to stand up and help her but Abby held up a hand and shook her head when she managed to get her breathing under control.

"It's alright," she said. "Sorry, wrong way. Admirable? How so?"

Asura settled back but gave Abby a worried look. "She has a lot of control," she said. "Being what we are… it gets harder with age. She's been… Her self-control is just admirable."

Abby didn't think so, but didn't quite know how to tell Asura that. Shifting uncomfortably she grimaced and looked around the restaurant, trying to see if she could spot anybody from the Normandy or any mercenaries that looked as if they might be coming for them. When she didn't see anybody that she knew or who made her on edge she turned back to the asari, studying her carefully.

"Do you _only_ go after the people that Lenelle gives you?" she queried. "Or do you do your own investigation as well? How many have you killed?" She bit her lip the moment she asked it but Asura didn't look too worried about answering it.

"Do you mean selected targets or all of those that I've had to kill in self defence as well?" Her eyes were bright when she looked at Abby.

The vet shifted uncomfortably and wondered whether she wanted to know. "Selected targets," she said. "I know how many you killed in your house."

Asura's face remained very neutral as she sat back. "Twenty," she said. "And their partners. I've gone after one whole ring within the Eclipse and Blue Suns mercs."

_Twenty lives,_ Abby thought bitterly and wondered whether Asura had killed them all by melding with her. _In a year?_

"Do you think I'm a monster Abby?"

The vet looked up into the Ardat Yakshi's eyes and shivered. None the less, she sighed and shook her head, carefully reaching out to touch the woman's hand again. "No Asura," she said softly. "I don't think you are. If I did, I wouldn't have been here. I think that… I think that you've been through a terrible ordeal and that you've had to do what you did to try and… and justify it. Or make sense of it. Or yes, heck – to get your revenge. But…" She trailed off and looked away, withdrawing her hand from Asura's. The asari quickly reached out and grasped it again.

"But?" she queried. "Tell me Abby."

Grimacing, Abby shrugged and kept her gaze locked on the table in front of her. "But, I think that something's not quite right here," she said softly. "I just… I don't know. I think you've killed enough. Has killing all of these people made you feel any better? Do you feel any less pain over your family's death?" She looked up into the asari's eyes. "Or do _you_ think that you've become a monster?"

Asura sat back surprised at her words. "I do what I have to do Abby," she said a bit defensively. "If it means becoming a monster then so be it."

Abby snorted and shook her head. "No Asura," she said sharply. "You're doing what you're being _told_ to do. Killing with reason is one thing. I mean, that's what Justicars do. Now, I don't condone killing – at all. But, if there is justice in it then there's some place for it in this world. Look at Samara, the Justicar that travels with us. She has a code of thousands of mantras, telling her when she's allowed to kill. I killed pets every day, dogs that were too aggressive, too old or too sick to make it through another life. But, I didn't kill anything without reason. Samara doesn't either and she makes double sure of her facts before she executes anybody."

Asura's mouth was very thin as she looked at Abby and she had crossed her arms in front of her chest. "What are you saying Abby?" she queried softly, her voice soft and dangerous. Abby shivered as it seemed to caress her back and slice through her mind but she shook her head and made a point of leaning forward so that she could point her finger at Asura.

"When next you kill someone, make very sure of your facts Asura," she said. "You only met this Lenelle a year ago. And, I mean what's the coincidence? Two Ardat Yakshi meeting, one with information that the other one wants. Now, I'm not questioning her. I don't know her. But, I feel as if I know you and I can't help but feel that you've been manipulated."

Asura shook her head and glared at Abby. "You feel a lot for someone with nerve damage," she said bluntly.

Abby sniffed sharply and stood up abruptly, slamming her hand against the table. "Don't mock me," she snapped. "I know what I feel Asura and I tell you that this Lenelle is bad business. But don't listen to me. Heck, I shouldn't even be here. By rights, _I_ should be dead. What do I know?"

Realizing that she had said the wrong thing, Asura grimaced and stood up slowly. "I'm sorry Abby," she said sincerely. "I didn't mean it that way. I'm very sorry."

Needing to take a breath to steady herself, Abby shook her head and turned away from Asura, feeling at a loss. She was overcome by a sense of despair, wondering what she was going to do with herself now. She wanted to leave but didn't want to risk going out of the restaurant on her own and she definitively didn't want to return to the Normandy. _Shepard was going to be so mad and disappointed in her. And for coming out to do this? To have this conversation? I should've stayed..._

"Abby?" Asura said again, softer this time. "Abby I'm sorry." She had stood up and had come over to the other side of the table, gently, carefully resting her hand on Abby's shoulder. The woman snorted and wanted to pull away from her but couldn't make herself do it. She hated to admit it, but Asura's touch made her feel better.

Calmer, more sure of herself.

In a strange way, it hurt.

She turned to look at the asari, wondering what to say to her. The hurt that she was feeling didn't go away as she sighed and dropped her gaze again, unable to find the words to express herself. Asura though, seemed to know what she wanted to do because she carefully pulled Abby closer and wrapped her arms around her in a strong embrace. Abby resisted at first but then she allowed herself to relax in her arms, resting her head against her chest where she could feel her heart beating. The world slowed down as her presence soothed Abby, enveloping her with a sense of completeness, as if she had found something that she had been looking for all her life. When Asura finally pulled away, she dropped her head to give Abby a kiss on the cheek but Abby, who wasn't sure what possessed her, turned her head so that the asari's lips could brush hers. The sensation lasted only a second, but it felt like a lifetime to Abby as her heart beat an excited taboo in her chest and she felt her body respond to the woman's touch. It was addicting and dangerous.

She pulled away before Asura did and bit her lip, turning her eyes down as Asura gently caressed her cheek. "Come home with me Abby," the Ardat Yakshi whispered. "Please."

Abby didn't know what to say, the promise of ecstasy almost too much for her to bear as she tried to find the strength to pull away from Asura. She was only vaguely aware of the world around them, of the distant shift of a chair. It was only when Asura stiffened that she dared to look up and then jumped startled, immediately pulling out of the Ardat Yakshi's grip.

Jack was standing there, her eyes bright with something dangerous as she stared at Asura. "Well, isn't this _nice,_" she said and looked at Abby. "I knew you were nuts, but I didn't think that you were insane."

**The End of Chapter 37**


	38. Chapter 38

_**AN: I am still amazed at the response to this and would just like to thank everybody for their reviews. It's such a pleasure to hear from you. Thank you to all who are reading. **_

**Caught**

**Abby stared at Jack, feeling as if she had been caught in bed with a boy by her mother. **For the life of her, she couldn't think of _one_ thing to say to the ex-convict, of one excuse to explain her actions. Asura didn't have the same problem as she purposefully turned, putting herself between Abby and Jack, her hands clenching into tight fists as she looked down on the petite young woman. Jack's eyes darted from Abby to Asura, her mouth twisting in a smile that Abby didn't like at all.

"We are not going to do that here," she said softly. "It would be a _fucking_ stupid move and I think that there's been enough stupidity in this day to last us all a life time. Abby, come with me."

Hearing her name, Abby shook herself and carefully put a shaking hand on Asura's wrists, willing her to step back. "Jack," she breathed. "What are you doing here?"

Jack snorted and motioned to the two of them. "Breaking up what has been a _lovely_ party," she said sarcastically. "I'm covering your ass Doc, in a big way. We're going back to the Normandy, the two of us. I think it's time you two end this meeting. You've said what you needed to say."

Abby swallowed, feeling giddy as she glanced at Asura who was still staring at Jack as if she was contemplating what to do with the young woman. Frightened suddenly, realising that the asari was still a killer, she pushed her way past her so that she could stand between the two biotics. "Is there anybody else here?" she queried, looking around the shop for Shepard or Samara.

Jack shook her head immediately. "Just me," she said. "EDI called me as soon as you got up. I had told her to do that. I followed you out and here." Her sentences were short and clipped as if she was struggling not to curse and there was a distinct look of gloating in her smile as she turned to the Ardat Yakshi. "You are not as good as you think you are."

"Jack," Abby warned her immediately, seeing Asura shift. "Please..." The convict glared at her and shook her head.

"I'm not here to be fucking _nice_ Doc," she snapped. "I'm here to get you back to the Normandy before Shepard and the others lose it with you. You are on thinner ice than I am. I told EDI to tell them that we went out together, which was true technically because I was only a minute or two behind you. But, you can't trust that damned AI. We have to go. Now."

Asura's mouth thinned as Abby glanced at her. She had purposefully turned her indigo eyes away from Jack in an arrogant gesture which hinted that she didn't feel necessarily threatened by the young woman to merit keeping an eye on her the whole time. She looked different now that they weren't alone. Beautiful still and confident but very, _very_ dangerous.

"Stay with me Abby," she said. "Please. You don't have to go back to the Normandy. You belong with me more than you do with them. Please."

The plea in her voice was undeniable.

For a moment Abby hesitated, ignoring the frustrated sound from Jack. Turning back to Asura, the vet made sure to give her a good look, taking in her frustrated features, her tired eyes and the allure of her presence. She bit her lip and realized that she was right in a strange way, that her place was beside her rather than back on the Normandy. But, life wasn't about getting what you wanted or even what you needed. It was about taking a road that would do the least damage and Abby suspected that she still had a purpose on the Normandy.

"I have to go Asura," she said. "I'm sorry."

The Ardat Yakshi looked shattered as she met her gaze, her features at a loss. "Why?" she asked. "Abby..."

The woman held up her hand, silencing her. "Because I have to make sure that I can," she whispered. "And I have things to do. I'm sorry Asura, I'll find you again and we'll sort this out. I promise."

She allowed Jack to take her arm and pull her forward, away from the asari. Asura didn't say anything as they left, but remained there, staring at her. She looked betrayed and hurt but there was nothing Abby could do about it. She knew without a doubt that she had to tell Shepard and Samara what she had learned about Lenelle and, more importantly, where she lived so that they could go and deal with the asari herself. Asura was not the one at fault here, she never had been. But Lenelle...

Abby had a feeling that she was a different matter entirely.

* * *

><p>"<strong>We'll take a short cut," Jack said as she led them out onto the streets of Omega. <strong>"We're far away from those first elevators but I know the region. There's a service elevator here that leads to an alley way quite close to where the Normandy is. We can take that." She sniffed and looked around her. "All the fucking upper cream of Omega lives here. Your girlfriend is either fucking rich or fucking someone that is."

Abby had a headache and had to pinch the bridge of her nose to help her focus. For the life of her, she struggled to get Asura out of her mind and still couldn't understand why she had let the asari kiss her. "She's not my girlfriend," she muttered. "I don't know what happened there."

Jack snorted and put a hand on her arm, guiding her towards a narrow alleyway. "Fuck me if I know," she said. "If I was a krogan I'd say you have quads for standing up to _that_. I thought you were going to tell me to fuck off. But I'm not so all I can say is..." She paused. "Nope, I don't have anything. You are out of your mind. What did you think, going off like that? Are you insane? Have you lost your mind? That asari is fucking... She's fucking nuts. Just as nuts as you are!"

Abby sighed tiredly and gave Jack a sideways look. "How long have you been listening?" She asked quietly, wondering what damage had been done in her relationship with the ex-convict. _If she had heard the wrong things and interpreted it the wrong way..._ To her surprise though, Jack's features softened a little as she found another elevator and punched in a code, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall to get some weight off of her injured leg.

"I heard what you said about trying to take your own life," she said softly, not looking at Abby. "I know what kind of desperation lies at the heart that. I tried myself..." Her mouth thinned and she briefly exposed her wrists to Abby, showing ugly marks underneath the dark tattoos. "Never managed. Don't think I had the guts for it, not completely." She looked up to meet Abby's gaze. "You think you managed? Do you think this is hell? Is where you come from so different? I think the others think that you're some kind of experiment."

Abby snorted and shrugged. "I don't know anything anymore," she said. "Experiment or not, illusion or hell, I've come to the conclusion while I'm here that I can't fix my life. That there's nothing that I can do to change it. But..." She met Jack's gaze. "We can change Asura's. Did you hear what she said about that other asari?"

Jack nodded immediately. "Fuck yeah," she said. "That Lenelle woman sounds like a bitch. I think you're right, she's being manipulated." Jack's mouth thinned. "Whoever that Lenelle is working for, they're turning her into a weapon by giving her what she wants – a reason to kill. I should know, they've done it to me." Bitter pleasure filtered over Jack's features. "They didn't kill my fucking family to get me to do it though. This is deep mind fuck shit Doc."

Relieved to hear it from Jack, Abby nodded and stepped into the elevator when it came. "I don't think Asura's bad," she confirmed. "I can't tell you exactly why Jack but… She's not the one at fault here. I know it's not just her presence that's telling me that, I can sense it. She's hurt and she's angry. But, she's not happy with what she's been doing either. Like you said, I think that she's really just being manipulated. We have to tell Shepard and Samara, maybe they can do something. This bigger than me, much bigger than what I think I can fix."

To her surprise, Jack laughed. "You're just as crazy as the rest of us," she said.

Blinking at her, still a little cautious by her easy attitude, Abby gave Jack a questioning look. "How so?" she queried to which Jack smiled slyly.

"You look to Shepard like the rest of us, trusting her to be your saviour. I heard you talk about her back there; you think that she can fix things. Fix this." She shook head and turned her gaze to the corner of the elevator. "You're just like me. Too fucking broken to have faith in yourself, but fixed _just_ enough to have faith in her."

Abby blinked and crossed her arms involuntarily. "I'm not like you," she said. "You're... You're capable Jack. You can fix things yourself..." The convict smiled at her and shook her head.

"Not like Shepard can," she said. "I didn't get you in the beginning. Fuck, I still don't but I'm going to tell you now, you have guts and your heart is in the right place. I was scared that you'd fuck with us, but you didn't. You could've told that asari that you know where her friend lives, but you didn't because you wanted to keep the upper hand. That shows to me that you're not on her side but on ours." She smiled at Abby. "And that makes you alright in my books."

Realising that it was the closest to a peace offering that she would ever get from the young woman, Abby smiled and shrugged off the compliment. "How do you know that I know where Lenelle lives?"

Jack dug into her one back pocket as the elevator opened. "I found this in the airlock, you're little: 'In case I fuck things up' note to Shepard," she pointed out. "You can hand it to her yourself now..."

They didn't have any warning as a biotic force so strong it felt like a car, threw both of them back into the elevator. Abby slammed against the back wall, seconds before Jack, her head hitting the panelling with such a hard crack that she saw only black and flashes of light as she crumbled to the floor. Disorientated, she tried to open her eyes just in time to feel herself yanked up on her feet by a figure that looked like the goddess of vengeance herself.

There was something very dangerous in Lenelle's eyes as she looked at Abby, then glanced to the floor where the data pad was lying.

"I'll take that," she said but instead of picking it up she stomped on it with her heel before she turned her gaze back to Abby. "I should've known it would be you. Fedora had said that the human was quite insignificant. That you would never expect her to be who you thought she'd be. I should've known that you were here the moment you stepped into that bar, but I thought you were being _cute_ and had heard an asari use that password and decided to see what's in the bar for yourself. A lot of humans do that – though most don't leave within five minutes." Her eyes narrowed. "Now I see that you were planning something a lot more sinister. And with _Cerberus._.."

Abby swallowed as she tried to find her own feet so that she could stop dangling in the asari's grip. Her shirt was digging into her back painfully as it was the only thing keeping her from gravity's clutches but she could not make her legs take her own weight. With her ears still ringing from the blow, she hardly had the sense to think, much less talk her way out of what was going to be a very bad situation.

"I... don't know... what you're talking about," she said, daring to steal a glance at Jack. "I'm... just out with..." Again, those deadly blue flames enveloped her and this time Abby found herself hurled out of the elevator where she crashed into a pile of empty crates. One caught her on the side and she gasped in pain as she felt a rib either shift or break. Still, she didn't let it stop her from trying to scramble up and get away from the angry alien who was marching towards her, her back now turned towards Jack.

"Don't think I'm a fool!" She snapped. "I heard what you two spoke of! I've been following you ever since you left Asura! I will not see you..." A blast of biotics threw Lenelle off of her feet and if Abby had not found the strength to move the asari would've dropped on top of her. Jack had managed to push herself up and was standing in the doorway of the elevator with murder in her eyes.

"I'm a biotic too bitch!" she snapped. "Run Abby! Get out of the way!" She was already forming a ball of dark energy as she spoke, blood streaming down her face from a cut on her forehead. Scrambling up, ignoring the pain over her whole body, Abby managed to take two steps before Jack threw the energy towards Lenelle. The asari recovered quicker than Jack anticipated though, for she managed to turn around and deflect it with her own powers.

"Unexpected," she sneered even as Jack prepared a second attack. "But not enough." Her body ignited in dark energy and she threw what looked like a liquid fountain towards Jack. The convict grinned savagely as her own body flared with her biotics. It absorbed Lenelle's attack which clearly surprised the asari as she watched the glow around Jack intensify. Abby had the sense to scramble up and try to run away from the crates before Jack unleashed her second attack. She threw the same liquid force at Lenelle, who pulled her biotics around her and brought two of the crates up in front of her to shield herself from Jack's attack. The whole area felt as if it was crackling with energy as Jack stormed towards Lenelle and tried to knock her off of her feet as she dropped the crates. Abby made the mistake of looking back just in time to see Lenelle deflect Jack's physical blow and kick the convict in the stomach, her blow enhanced by her biotics. The sight of it made her stumble and loose her balance as she crashed down, just bringing her arms up in time to protect her face. Breathing deeply, she tried to push herself up again but heard another attack behind her. This time, both of the biotics had thrown their powers at each other, causing a field which seemed to destroy the very gravity to form around them.

It reminded her of Samara's attack on Morinth.

Abby had tried to move away but she too was caught in the force and felt herself pulled back, as if an ocean tide had caught her. She managed to pull against it, kicking in her heels and pushing herself forward like an athlete starting a race. It made Lenelle look towards her and she managed to divide her flows and throw some of her power at Abby. It struck her hard; contorting her body in a painful position which she thought was going to break her back. The break of attention gave Jack the upper hand and she managed to throw Lenelle away from her, her powers licking around the asari like lightening as it picked her up and threw her back against the wall. Her power around Abby faded and the vet was left gasping on the floor, tears streaming from her eyes even though she was in too much pain to cry. Seconds later Jack appeared by her side and tried to force her on her feet.

"Come on!" She yelled, the fear in her voice paralysing Abby as she didn't think that the young woman could be afraid of anything. "Let's go, we have to get out of here before she gets up! She's fucking strong!" When Abby didn't move immediately, her limbs refusing to work, Jack turned around to look at Lenelle and growled, quickly moving in between her and Abby again. The asari had managed to push herself up, her face now a picture of fury as she threw a crate at Jack, followed immediately by another. The petite woman managed to break both of them, punching them out of the way with her biotics, showering the alley way with bits of metal.

"I am not done with you," Lenelle hissed as she advanced towards Jack. "I will not see you ruin my plan. I have worked on this for years. _Years. _I will not see you take this from me. From us. We have worked too hard to find her." She threw her arms up without warning and a web of light sprang up around Jack's feet, trapping her and raising her off of the ground. She blinked surprised, clearly having not expected it. Her surprise didn't last long though as she sneered and started struggling to get out. The asari's eyes were black as she looked at Jack, a small smile playing in the corner of her mouth when she realized that Abby had once again crumbled to the floor. The vet was done, her body refusing to cooperate as she watched Jack withering in the air, trying to escape Lenelle's bonds. She fought like an animal, her body pulsing periodically as she tried to use her own biotics but, whatever the asari had done, it held her fast.

Abby closed her eyes and tried to push herself up again, forcing her limbs to work despite the pain that seemed to radiate from every cell in her body. Her arms shook as she straightened them but she couldn't make herself move in more than small increments. Lenelle didn't seem to be worried about her at all as her full attention was on Jack. She studied the petite woman, her mouth thin as she looked up to meet Jack's eyes.

"You're impressive," she said. "I know who you are now. I should've realized the moment you managed to deflect my attack. Subject Zero. Also a Cerberus pet."

Jack growled at her as the glow around her intensified and she threw every ounce of strength that she had against Lenelle's powers. "I am not with Cerberus!" she snapped. "I'm with Commander Shepard you fucking bitch and I can fucking tell you that if you don't let us fucking go now she's going to show up here and fuck you up."

The asari snorted and shook her head. "Nobody can _fuck_ with me," she said in a low voice. "You don't know what I am. What I am capable of. But," she smiled. "I will show you. So that _she_ knows what happens if you try and be smart with me." She glanced at Abby who had managed to press herself into an upright position against the wall. "The more you move pet," she said smoothly. "The more it will hurt. So just sit tight, I'll be with you in a moment. When I'm done with your friend."

Abby hesitated, exhausted by her efforts to get up but she couldn't help but feel that the asari was wrong. She didn't hurt any more than she did moments before. And she was still mobile. None the less, she allowed the pain that she was feeling to show on her face and slumped back against the wall – giving the asari the reaction that she wanted. Lenelle smiled at her and then turned her attention back to Jack who was still hovering a few feet in the air.

"Let me show you what real power is," she said and slowly began to open her hand. "Let me show you what it's like to be able to tear someone limb from limb."

As she began to move her hand, Jack's body went taunt, her arms pulled out from her sides as her limbs were spread like a star. For a blind second, Abby hoped that Jack would be able to escape, that she'd wrench herself free from Lenelle's grip but it dawned on the vet that if she had not managed now, she wouldn't later. Silently praying for help, Abby dared to glance towards the streets outside the alleyway but – if their display was visible from outside, nobody had bothered looking towards them.

Nobody cared who died in Omega, as long as it wasn't them.

There was no help coming from them, not now. Nauseous, her head still spinning, Abby slowly forced herself to try and get up, winching when she heard Jack cry out in pain as her body was stretched by the immense power of the Matriarch. Breathing deeply, willing her limbs to continue moving, Abby pushed herself upright again and stood up slowly. Having bitten her tongue to keep herself from crying out, Jack saw Abby's movement and looked at her with a strange desperation, a hope that made Abby sick. She was expecting her to do something, to get her out of this mess. She winked at Abby, slowly and deliberately and seemed to come to some sort of decision. Realising she only had seconds to prepare for whatever Jack planned, Abby held her breath. Without warning, Jack threw her head back and started screaming. To Abby's ears, it was raw anger that gave birth to the sound but the asari didn't know Jack well and laughed.

"Screaming won't dull the pain," she said as she spread her hand wider. "Fighting me won't either. This is real power, Subject Zero. This is something that you'll never have. That your pitiful species will never comprehend for all your tinkering. Feel this..." She straightened out her pinkie and there was a sickening pop as one of Jack's shoulders slipped out of its socket. Abby wanted to throw up, she wanted to lose her balance and fall to the floor so that she could cover up her ears and block out the sound but she knew that she had only one chance. Upright now, she lunged at the asari from behind, ignoring the burning sensation that spread across her body as she touched the dark power that swirled around her. The woman gasped surprised and for a moment the light around Jack dispelled a little. Abby made a grab for the asari's neck and tried to drag her to the ground, kicking at her knees to make her loose her balance but her own legs betrayed her on the last moment and she lost her footing. Still, she held on for dear life, squeezing with as much force as she could, barely managing to regain her footing. Lenelle struggled against her, growling as she struggled to keep a hold of Jack who had stopped screaming as suddenly as she began and had resumed her struggle against the asari. It was as if the pain that she had just experienced had let loose a demon inside her. In an inspired moment, Abby brought her hand up and clawed at Lenelle's eyes, knowing that the asari would have to let go of Jack then, but a field of power suddenly pulsed from her, throwing Jack back against the wall with a back breaking force. Abby too was wrenched free of her and thrown back on the remnants of the crates. Still, she tried to push herself up immediately her hand brushing over the small omni-tool she still wore. She didn't know what she pushed but she heard a crackle from the radio speaker.

"We're closing in! We're almost there! Where's this alley..."

It was Shepard. She didn't know how, but Shepard had found them, she knew that they were in trouble. All they needed was time…

Lenelle looked at her bewildered, then at Jack who had still not moved from where she had fallen. She made to step towards the young woman but Abby forced herself to stand up, throwing a piece of metal at the asari to get her attention. She didn't know how far Shepard was, but she couldn't risk believing that they were close. That belief might just kill both her and Jack. They needed time, time for Shepard to find them, time for the rest of the crew to save them. Abby knew that she could not fight Lenelle, she could not best her or match her power. All she could do was give Shepard and the others enough time to reach them. She had to give herself hope that Jack at least would make it out of here alive. She had put the young woman here and it was time to try and correct the mistake that she had made in thinking that she could deal with this alone.

"You don't have time to kill us both!" she snapped. "Shepard's coming! You heard her yourself! Jack was right!"

Lenelle growled and turned back towards Abby, her face savage and bleeding from where she had managed to draw blood below her eyes. "I don't need to kill her, I just need to take you!" she snapped and marched towards Abby, seizing her by her shirt. Abby pulled against her but didn't fight, daring to look into the asari's black eyes.

"You won't get away fast enough carrying me," she hissed. "And for all you know, they can track us. What good would it do then? And if Asura sees you? With me? What would she think?"

Lenelle hesitated, though the look of murder did not leave her eyes. Her pause gave Abby hope that she might still be able to outplay the asari, that she had not thought of everything. Although she wanted to, she didn't close her eyes as she looked at Lenelle, remembering that Asura thought she was an Ardat Yakshi. A part of Abby didn't doubt it. Now that she was this close to her, she could sense the alien's hunger. She had felt it in Asura the first day they met, seconds before she tried to kill Abby. That day felt like a life time ago – and perhaps it was. Abby had certainly changed from then. Facing Lenelle, Abby allowed herself to feel the void in the woman's eyes as if it had been formed by the souls of her victims when they died. She was a weapon and Abby was going to use that.

_How many could one kill in a thousand years?_

Abby took a deep breath to speak, to challenge the woman, but her first words froze in her mouth. Fear filled her. More than she had ever felt before, more than she suspected she would ever feel again. Every breath became difficult, every thought frozen in place. But, she didn't want to lose. Not this time, not this battle.

"You'll have to take me if you want to know what I know," Abby hissed, steeling herself. "Now."

There was a second in which the world stood still and then the asari started laughing as if Abby had just told ehr the biggest joke in the world. "Of course," she whispered and pulled Abby towards the elevator. "Not what I had in mind as I had actually wanted to spare your life." She pushed Abby into the elevator even as the woman tried to pull against her. "You might have proven to be useful later..." Abby stumbled when Lenelle let go of her and barely managed to save herself from falling by moving to the wall. She tried to turn around quickly but did so just in time to see the Ardat Yakshi close them in. She thought she heard Jack cry out but she couldn't be sure. Perhaps it was just blind hope that she would not have to face this on her own.

Lenelle hit a button on the panel then turned to her, her eyes black as sin as the elevator started moving.

"You will not enjoy this," she said as she stepped up to Abby, pressing her against the wall. Terrified, Abby wanted to step back but there was nowhere for her to go. Lenelle grinned savagely as she put her hand over Abby's neck, her black eyes studying her features. She could tell immediately that the asari loved her fear, that she wasn't going to feel that rush of calm that she had felt with Asura. Still, Lenelle took the time to bring her one hand up and caress Abby's cheek before she pressed her body against her and put her mouth close to her ear.

"_Embrace eternity."_

Abby wanted to prepare herself, to bring up some mental barrier against the force she knew would come with Lenelle's melding. She had thought that - as with Asura, the sensation would increase gradually as all the nerves in her body was stimulated by the asari's intimate touch but she had been wrong. The force of Lenelle's power took her by surprise and she cried out first in shock and then in pain as the torturing pleasure spread through her body. She became alive even as she felt her body die. And she could feel her life and memories taken by the asari as their bodies and beings became one. She tried to fight, to resist, but the power burned her last shred of strength and will from her. When a familiar darkness washed over her she embraced it and felt herself slipping from Lenelle's grasp. She could feel the woman's breath against hers as soft lips pressed against hers as Lenelle guided her to the floor and the darkness enfolded her completely.

"There," the Ardat Yakshi whispered. "It is done."

**The End of Chapter 38**


	39. Chapter 39

_**AN: I struggled with this chapter. My apologies if it's a bit shaky. Make that very shaky...**_

**The Struggle. **

"**Just run this by me again EDI," Miranda said, her tone suggesting that she was barely containing her temper. **"Dr. Gable and _Jack_ left here together. Without telling anybody."

The AI paused and, if she had shoulders, she would've shrugged at them. "_I_ was informed," she stated. "I had to open the door."

Shepard could see that it took all of Miranda's self control not to roll her eyes as she said in a tight tone. "Of course EDI," she said in a strained voice. "But who gave you permission to open it for them?"

"It is a part of my protocol to open doors, Officer Lawson," EDI said dryly. "I hardly need permission to do so."

"Yes but...!" Miranda started but Shepard, unable to stop herself from smiling slightly shook her head and motioned to her XO to be quiet.

"EDI," she said simply. "Why did they leave?" The truth was she was barely managing to contain her own impatience but she had to smile at Miranda's frustration. Samara and Kasumi had woken her, distressed by Abby's absence after they had made sure that she wasn't on the ship. They had all thought that it would be easy to find the woman's whereabouts through EDI but the AI was being excruciatingly difficult. And the worst bit was, Jane couldn't even call her on it because she was ultimately a machine. They just seemed to be asking the wrong questions all the time.

"They weren't specific," the AI said cautiously. "Jack said to say that she was taking Dr. Gable out."

Miranda snorted and shook her head, crossing her arms so that she could pace the length of the briefing room. Samara and Kasumi were there too, as well as a very bleary eyed Kelly who had just come into the Normandy. They had asked her if she had seen the two in Afterlife but if they were there, she hadn't noticed. In the state that she was in, they weren't really surprised. The Yeoman liked her shore leave.

"With Jack that could mean anything from taking her out to a drink to taking her out with a gun," she said dryly. "EDI I can't believe you were so stupid as to let them both out! Together! Why would you do that?"

The AI seemed to know the answer to that question as she answered very quickly. "Jack was assigned as Abby's protection detail, it seemed only logical to let them out together. I believe that Jack has Dr. Gable's protection in mind."

Jane raised an eyebrow and glanced at Kasumi who seemed just as bewildered as Miranda. Her mouth was pushed into a thin, worried line as she looked at Jane. "Commander," she said. "I can't imagine that Abby would just leave with Jack. She's..." Kasumi trailed off but Jane could sense where she was going with her line of thought.

"Not that stupid," Samara finished for Kasumi. "Commander, something feels very wrong here. I believe that we should go out and look for them. Immediately."

Jane nodded but turned back to EDI. "EDI, tell me what happened one last time," she said. "Recount their actions second for second. Replay all conversation that they had."

The AI paused. "Commander," she said slowly. "There are no such files."

Miranda frowned. "Why?" She said. "You are supposed to be monitoring the crew constantly. I haven't shut down those protocols EDI. Recall video data file of Dr. Gable and Jack leaving the Normandy. Now."

Again, the pause was much longer than it should've been.

"EDI?" Jane said, strengthening her voice a little to remind the AI of her authority. "Recall the video data files of Dr. Gable and Jack leaving the Normandy."

The AI's avatar disappeared instantly, bringing up the camera that was situated in the Normandy's airlock. At first, it was empty – then Abby appeared, her thin frame bend almost double as if she was trying to make herself a small as possible. She stopped at the door and hesitated, a look of frustration crossing her features as she stared at the door.

"_Dr. Gable,"_ EDI's voice was the same bit of sound that appeared. _"Where are you going?"_

As they all watched the video's progression, two things dawned on Jane. The first thing was that she had severely underestimated the timid vet. Regardless of where she came from, the woman was clearly intelligent and had a stubborn streak in her that could match any krogan on the best of days. Rubbing her brow as she saw the vet leave the airlock at a run, Shepard took a steadying breath and turned her attention back to her AI.

"Where's that data file that she left EDI?" she queried levelly, happy that the others were keeping quiet. "Did you download it?"

"No," the AI said, her avatar returning. "Jack took it with her."

Samara stepped forward, not quite joining Shepard but putting herself close to the Commander. "When did Jack leave?" She queried her tone practiced and neutral. "Did she follow Dr. Gable?"

"Yes. She left exactly three minutes and 42 seconds after Dr. Gable." EDI's answer was short and simple, but Jane couldn't help but feel that AI was... Feeling guilty. Or awkward. It bothered her that she could not puzzle out the AI's tone, reminding her that the second thing that had dawned on her was that she had overestimated EDI's reasoning abilities. She had not told the AI specifically to keep an eye on Abby, but she had _assumed_ that she would realize that they were watching her. Clearly she didn't and Abby had been able to reason herself out of the Normandy with logic. Taking a steadying breath, struggling not to let her frustration show in front of her other crew members, Jane went to the door, motioning to them all to stay inside. When she was in the corridor, she looked up to EDI and motioned to her to close the door to the Briefing Room.

"EDI," she said levelly. "Put Dr. Gable's name on the crew registry list. Then call Jack, I want to speak to her."

There was a pause before EDI came back to her, her tone level. "She's turned off her omni-tool Shepard, I can't call her."

* * *

><p>"<strong>We're going to break up into two teams," Shepard said readied her weapons, slipping her sniper rifle onto her back.<strong> She felt her shoulder pull but ignored it, turning her attention to the rest of the crew gathered. "Miranda and Jacob, I want you to go out with Garrus and search the region where Abby found Lenelle. Samara, myself and Grunt will go and search Afterlife. I'll also try to see if Aria knows anything. She has a habit of keeping tabs on people."

"And if we find her?" Jacob queried, glancing at Miranda. He still deferred to her sometimes, an unconscious habit that had come with his years of working with her. They made a good team and Shepard figured that they'd be able to match any asari, no matter how strong she was, if they worked together.

"We give her a bloody hiding that's what," Miranda snapped, holstering her pistol. "And Jack too. She should've known better Shepard, she should've called you." She looked to Garrus who nodded in conformation. His face was unreadable as he finished gathering his own weapons. Grunt was already done and the only one who looked moderately excited to go out.

Shepard shook her head and turned to Samara who was very quiet. "I don't care what anybody should've done and what they didn't," she said. "I want to get them both back here. This is as much my fault because I didn't think to put protection detail on Abby. I didn't think that she'd leave. Do you think that this as Asura's doing Samara?"

The Justicar's mouth was thin as she shrugged. "An Ardat Yakshi's pull is very strong Shepard," she said. "You know this as well as I do. I would like to give Dr. Gable the benefit of the doubt and say that she didn't know what she was doing but we won't know until we find her."

Shepard nodded and turned to the rest. "Is everybody ready? Can we move out?"

Garrus shifted, his gaze meeting hers as he nodded. "What do we do if we meet this Asura?" he queried. "We don't know what the other asari looks like. That might be tricky."

"Be cautious if you meet Asura," Samara said immediately. "An Ardat Yakshi must _not_ be underestimated." She glanced at Miranda and Jacob. "You two will have to take her down together. I do not think that you'll be able to take her out on your own."

Shepard grimaced as she listened to Samara's words. Miranda saw this and turned to her in a questioning fashion. Seeing the look on her face, Shepard sighed. "I would appreciate it if we can _try_ and take her in alive," she pointed out. "But our first concern is Dr. Gable. We have to trust that she is still immune to her touch, if not her influence. We have to try and bring them both back here alive. Let's move out."

They headed out to the command deck and towards the airlock but before they could leave the ship, EDI suddenly appeared.

"Commander," she said quickly. "There's an incoming call from Jack."

"Thank goodness," Jane breathed immediately. "Put her through."

There was a crackle on the line and heavy breathing. Alarmed, Jane instinctively stepped closer to the console. "Jack," she said. "What's your position? What's going?"

Instead of answering, she heard Abby's voice. _"I... don't know... what you're talking about," _the vet's voice was shaking, filled with the same fear Shepard heard in her voice when they rescued her from the mercenaries. _"I'm... just out with..."_ Abby yelped without warning and there was a crash seconds later.

"Bitch found us," Jack breathed into the radio, her voice strained with pain. "We're at a service elevator in sector six of the apartments. It's close. Fuck Shepard, she's going to kill her…" On the back of the line Shepard heard an unknown woman shout.

"_Don't think I'm a fool!"_

The line went dead and they were all left to stare at EDI's avatar for a few, blind seconds. Garrus was the first to move, pushing past Shepard and running towards the airlock. "I know where that is!" he shouted back at them. "She's right, it's very close!" Shepard wasted no time to follow him, not even bothering to tell the others to follow them, knowing that they would.

* * *

><p><strong>It was strange but, she thought about those that she had lost as they ran through the streets of Omega.<strong> She thought about the soldiers who died in the battle for Elysium. She thought about Jenkins and Kaiden. And, she thought about Ashley and Liara – the friends that had changed beyond recognition after her first death. Shepard couldn't help but feel that she had had the opportunity to save everybody but that she constantly failed them. It was ingrained in her, the need to get everybody out alive and every death, every time she let someone down, weighed very heavily on her.

Now was no exception as she couldn't push away the feeling that she had failed both Abby and Jack. Whether they were here on their own choice or not, she should've done better to protect them. They kept trying to hail the two on their radios again, but it was clear that they weren't going to respond.

"We're only five minutes away!" Garrus snapped from the front, ignoring the looks everybody send their way as they tried to leap out of the way of the advancing party. "Should be just round this corner."

There was a crack in Shepard's ear suddenly and she could hear what sounded like a struggle on the other side. Not checking whether it was Jack or Abby's radio which was on, she said quickly and loudly into the radio.

"We're closing in! We're almost there!" She turned to Garrus who had slowed down. "Where's this alley?"

"Through here," the turian said. "We'll make it Shepard, someone's still alive on the other side of that radio."

_Please don't let it be the asari,_ Shepard prayed as they turned the last corner. She could see Garrus lift his rifle to his shoulder without breaking stride and knew that they were close. The others behind her fanned out, forming a wall behind her in the narrow street. It was quite possible for them to move easily as there was nobody else around. Fighting didn't attract a lot of attention on Omega, as it might bring the wrong kind of attention onto yourself if you watched.

They turned another corner just in time to see Jack lurch up from where she had collapsed against a wall, then crumble to her knees again. "ABBY!" the convict shouted, her gaze fixed on an elevator door that had just closed. Garrus and Shepard ran to the door, immediately trying to call it back but it was too late, it had already gone. They didn't need to look around to know that Abby had been in it.

Miranda ran up behind Shepard and looked at the elevator, her blue eyes scanning the area. "Jacob, Grunt!" she snapped. "With me, there's a set of stairs here." She looked at Garrus. "Tell us where it stops." Shepard had to hand it to her, she could think on her feet and she held such command that even Grunt didn't protest. As the three of them disappeared up the nearby stairs, Shepard turned to see Samara already kneeling beside Jack, her eyes dark with concern as she held the convict on the floor.

"Don't move," Samara said as she pushed Jack down when Shepard reached them. "Please Jack."

The petite woman looked terrible, her face an ashen gray as her wild eyes met Shepard's. "We tried," she breathed, blood pouring from a gash on the side of her face. "She was so... fucking strong. Abby's with her."

"Who was it?" Samara asked immediately. "Lenelle or Asura?"

Jack cringed and closed her eyes, her breathing ragged. She sounded as if every bone in her chest had been broken. "Lenelle," she breathed. "Fuck Shepard. I'm sorry."

Shepard shook her head quickly and knelt beside her crew mate, already pulling a syringe from her emergency pouch. "It's okay Jack," she said. "Just hold still, we'll get help. This is going to sting a little." She pushed the syringe into Jack's arm. "But it will help for the pain, just relax." When she was done she turned on her radio, opening up a link to the Normandy. "EDI, tell Chakwas to prepare for an emergency. We have one crew member down. Send a team to meet us halfway. What happened, Jack?"

Jack paused, shutting her eyes tightly as she waited for the stimulant to work. "Miranda," Jane heard Garrus snap into his radio behind her where he was still at the elevator. "She's stopped on level 85. You won't make it. Call the elevator to your level, I've asked it to come down again. When it stops, I'll cancel my summons, you can ride it to the top." When Jane turned her attention back to the convict, she realized that there were tears in her eyes, smudging her heavy makeup.

"We were coming back," Jack breathed. "Abby... Fuck... Abby had snuck fucking out to meet Asura. I don't..." She shuddered in pain. "I don't know when they arranged it. But... I fucking followed them. I thought... I thought she betrayed us."

Samara's eyes were grave as she carefully dropped her hand to Jack's wrist so that she could check her pulse. "Did she?"

Jack met her gaze and shook her head. "No," she breathed. "No... she was just... curious. She wanted to know about Asura and Lenelle... I couldn't stop it. I tried Shepard, I tried but she was _so_ strong." She was fading, the medication dulling the pain that was tethering her to reason.

"Ssh," Shepard whispered and looked up to see Garrus join them. "Garrus, run back to the Normandy, get the medic team – they are on their way. I don't want to move Jack without a stretcher."

Garrus nodded tightly and left at a run. He was scarcely gone when Miranda radioed Shepard, her voice tense. "Jane we've found her."

Shepard sat up and looked towards the elevator. "Who?" she queried. "The asari or..."

"Dr. Gable," Miranda confirmed. "We're coming down. She left her in the elevator."

_Shit._ She looked down to see that Jack had closed her eyes. "She goaded her," Jack whispered. "Abby lured her away from me by telling her that she had to meld with her to gain the information that she had. I'm sorry Shepard."

Closing her eyes, Shepard shook her head and put a gentle hand on Jack's head. "It's okay," she said softly. "You did the best you could Jack. I'll be right back okay?" She looked to Samara. "Stay with her, I'm going to the elevator." The asari nodded, her face grave as she moved her hand from Jack's wrist to her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"You have done well," Shepard heard her whisper to the convict. "You fought bravely."

Turning her back on them, Shepard quickly went to the elevator and waited for it to open. It felt like an eternity passed until it finally opened, revealing her three crew members. Grunt and Jacob were standing to the side while Miranda was kneeling on the floor beside a fallen Abby, her face tense as she took the woman's pulse. The vet was very pale, her parlour accentuated by the blood that was slowly streaming from her nose and ears. Her eyes were open but she was staring at nothing, her spirit seemingly burned out of her.

_No,_ Shepard thought as she knelt next to Miranda. _It can't be, not another one..._ She turned to Miranda for answers but the woman shook her head, catching onto what her Commander wanted to ask her.

"I can't say till we've run tests," she said and motioned to Jacob. "We have to get them both to the Normandy as quickly as possible." She grimaced and carefully reached out to close Abby's eyes. "I don't think she's going to make it Shepard. Sit here, I'll go and have a look at Jack." She got up smoothly without waiting for Shepard's leave.

Feeling an overwhelming rush of frustration, Shepard closed her eyes and carefully reached out to squeeze Abby's hand, alarmed by how cold and lifeless it felt. "This is such a mess," she muttered to herself and turned to see Miranda kneel beside Jack, pushing Samara away so that she could join Shepard. "Such a fucking mess..."

* * *

><p><strong>She didn't stay in the infirmary when they were back on the Normandy, but went up to her cabin so that she could be out of everybody's way.<strong> Dr. Chakwas had taken one look at the two patients and immediately took over Jack's care though she continued to bark orders at Miranda who was taking care of Abby. The doctor also told Samara to stick around when Miranda explained to her that Abby's condition might be due to an Ardat Yakshi melding. She drilled the Justicar on how the process worked while she assessed Jack's injuries. It was during this period that Shepard left them, feeling like a failure.

In her cabin, she stripped off her armour, which felt futile because they hadn't even fired a shot. Then she went to have a shower, making the water as hot as possible to try and burn her fear of losing her crew members out of her.

_I failed them,_ she thought as she thought of Jack's soft plea to Shepard to forgive her and of Abby's lifeless eyes. _I should've known better. I failed them._ Her frustration welled up inside her like a torrent and she had to stuff her first into her mouth to stop herself from screaming. _Damn them, damn them all. And damn me for failing them._ She closed her eyes as Abby's features became all of those that she had lost during Elysium. Her eyes were Jenkins's, staring blindly up at her after he had been killed by the Geth on Eden Prime. They became Ashley's as she turned her back on her at Horizon, effectively telling Shepard that she was still dead to the woman and that their friendship could not be salvaged, that the two years that had passed had changed her world beyond repair.

She was so caught up in her own frustration and anger that she didn't realize that she wasn't alone until the shower's water shut off and a soft towel was draped over her shoulders. Jane turned surprised to find Samara in the bathroom with her, the asari's eyes unreadable as she pulled the towel around her and stepped back. She didn't know what to say to the Justicar as she stared at her, clutching the towel that hid her modesty.

"Jack's going into surgery," Samara said softly. "To repair internal bleeding. She seemed to have taken the worst of the attack. She has multiple fractures but Dr. Chakwas was positive. She won't let her die."

Jane struggled to work some moisture back into her mouth, her hands shaking as she clutched the towel tighter. "And Abby?"

The Justicar's features became darker as she shook her head. "She is still unresponsive. To my understanding they are treating her like the victim of a stroke. It seems to be an Ardat Yakshi's work." Her eyes met Shepard's. "It seems less likely that she'll recover, though her injuries are less severe."

The news hit Shepard harder than she expected it to. _Another failure,_ she thought as she stared at Samara. _Another name to add to the list._ She didn't know what to say as she stared at the Justicar, her wet hair dripping on her towel and water still trailing down her legs. Samara though seemed to sense her thoughts and took a step closer to her, her face unreadable as she made to touch Jane then hesitated.

"Commander," she said softly, the title hurting Jane. "It's not your fault. I'm sorry..."

"Sorry?" Jane snapped, unable to stop herself. "Everybody always says that they are sorry Samara but it doesn't change anything. Ashley said apologized to me on Horizon, but turned her back on me regardless. Liara said sorry that she couldn't be my friend anymore. Kaiden apologized that he could not save Jenkins and then _I_ apologized to him when I decided to save Ashley instead of him! It didn't change anything. People still died. I still failed. Sorry doesn't help!"

Frowning at her outburst, Samara shook her head and took a step closer, still not touching her. "Jane," she said softly, urgently, "you didn't fail these people. Circumstances outside your control dictated your actions, you can't save everybody." Her face grew darker and Jane suspected that she thought about her daughter and her victims. Still her words did not console the Commander as she stepped away from her abruptly and turned her back on her, furiously beginning to dry herself off with the towel, not caring if the asari saw her in her nakedness.

"I failed them Samara," she snapped. "I failed them all. I should've known that Abby would try something, I should've watched her. But, because I didn't and, because I was _foolish_ enough to put Jack in charge of her, they are now both fighting for their lives! And for what? What did we learn? That Asura tried to kill Abby? That there's _another_ Ardat Yakshi out there? What? What was the use of this? I've just senselessly thrown lives away. _Again_."

She didn't hear the asari move but quite suddenly, Samara took a hold of her shoulders and turned her around, forcing her to face her. Her eyes were filled with emotion, her face set in determination.

"Jane," she said simply. "You did _not_ fail your crew today. Let me tell you something that might be hard to hear. You are not the Goddess. You cannot walk on this world and have everything go your way. You are human. Mortal. You make mistakes, and you learn from them. You lose people because they are mortal to and _they_ make mistakes because nobody is a god. I lost my daughter, despite _everything_ that I did to try and change her fate. You lost your life but saved the lives of your crew because you took fate into your own hands. And, fate pulled Abby and Jack away from this ship. It was their choices, their mistakes that took them there. You had no control over it. If you are to blame, then so are the rest of us for all of the mistakes that others made around us." Her face contorted in pain. "Then I am to blame for my daughter's choices in life. Then I have failed even more as a mother than I already feel that I have."

Shepard took a breath and then another, feeling the pressure of Samara's hands on her shoulders. "Samara I..." She had to close her eyes to think, to try and move away from the overwhelming sense of failure that had settled around her. "I don't know what to do. I thought that I'd be able to help Abby, it seemed so simple when this all started. So small in comparison to saving the galaxy from the Reapers. But I made a mess of it regardless." She closed her eyes, feeling as if she could just sink to the floor. "I don't know how I can do all that's expected of me. I can't see myself making the slightest bit of a change. Not in Abby's life. Not in my own. Not in all those colonists who were taken by the Collectors and certainly not in their family's who came looking to me for answers." She shook her head. "Cerberus should just have let me be. I didn't change anything but piss the Reapers off."

Samara stared at her for a long time, her pale blue eyes filled with all the sadness in the world. "You truly don't know," she said softly. "You still see yourself as a tool that should be discarded when it breaks, fails." She shook her head, her eyes trailing down Jane's body for the first time. "You are so much more," she said, the look in her eyes making Jane's breath catch in her throat as their gazes met. "I will show you what you are through my eyes. What you are to all of us. If you wish to see it."

She didn't say anything. Couldn't say anything. Looking up at Samara, Jane realized that she was sinking and the only thing tethering her to reality was the Justicar's touch as she found herself nodding. Carefully, gently, the asari leaned forward, brushing her lips against Jane's. The touch was electric and her world began to spin out of control as she felt Samara slowly slip to towel from her shoulders and push her up against the wall. When their lips parted and Samara's hand found its way to her hip, the Justicar met her gaze just as her eyes went black.

"_Embrace eternity." _

**The End of Chapter 39**


	40. Chapter 40

_**AN: Again, thank you for everybody who are reviewing and still reading. :) I appreciate it. A lot. **_

**Witness this moment. **

**They stared at each other, their faces close together as they looked into each other's eyes.** There was nothing that they could say - no words with which to describe the moments in which an eternity got wrapped up in a second. Their hands were entwined, resting close to their faces, their legs wrapped together like a braid. They weren't one anymore, but they were trying to be.

Samara saw how Jane processed what had happened, her dark green eyes moving from turmoil to wonder as she stared at the asari. When Samara blinked for what felt like the first time in centuries, the Commander smiled at her and gently reached out to caress her face, touching the symbols on her brow.

"Samara," she whispered softly, her name like a lyric on the woman's lips. "What happened?"

She wished she knew. Staring at Jane, Samara couldn't imagine what had made her move to meld with the woman. She had just meant to come up and check on her... She never meant... She closed her eyes, breaking the contact that they had had.

"I don't know Shepard," she whispered. "I truly don't know... I never meant..."

She heard Shepard snort softly as she chuckled and cupped her cheek, forcing her to look at her. "Ssh," she whispered. "It's alright Samara. That was... I can't..." Words failed her just as it failed Samara. She had melded with many people in her lifetime. She was a wild maiden, full of adventure. She enjoyed every moment, loved every single spark of life she shared her existence with. Her first time had also been overwhelming, an incredible moment shared with an asari Matriarch who initiated her into the right. Although she had melded with other species in her youth, she never felt quite as complete with them as she felt with her own kind. But, with Shepard...

She had always known that the woman was great, that there was a strength and honour in her that surpassed everybody that she had ever met in her life. But to feel that, to feel the rhythm of her thoughts, to share her memories, her emotions... How could she ever look at her the same way again? And, now that she knew what the woman felt for her... _What have I done?_

She saw Shepard hesitate when she didn't reply, her brow furrowing in worry as she bit her lip ever so slightly. "Samara was it... I mean... Was I..." Despite her inner turmoil, Samara made a soothing tonsounde and reached out, resting her fingers against the human woman's lips.

"It's okay," she said. "I'm just processing. You were... Jane, you are a woman to look up to. To have shared this with you... I will remember this moment for a very long time."

Shepard settled back, looking relieved. "That's... Good to know," she said with a small, embarrass smile, her pale features colouring from her embarrassment. "I mean... I'm glad that some things still work at least. Miranda didn't do such a bad job..." She chuckled then shook her head as she smiled at Samara, her features becoming a little bit more serious.

"I can feel it," she said softly. "What you feel for me. Why have we not done this sooner Samara? What kept you back?" She shook her head. "What will happen now?"

_She knows that I regret this._ Samara sighed and shook her head. "I don't know Jane," she said softly. "I didn't want to do it because I will change everything." She met her gaze and slowly let go of her hand, standing up so that she could start looking for her clothes. _Goddess... what possessed me? I'm not a maiden anymore._

Shepard watched her, her green eyes unreadable as she followed her movements to where her clothes were. The Commander's was still neatly folded up in the bathroom, along with her towel. "Then why did you do it?" she queried softly, sitting up too, hiding her nakedness with her bed sheet. "Why did you meld with me Samara?"

Samara hesitated, her hands gripping her boots. She could've said a lot of things when she turned around. She could've told Jane it was to make herself feel better, or to help the Commander. To take them both away from the situation that they now found themselves in. To show Jane that she wasn't a failure, to share with her some shred of wisdom as their minds melded... But the answer was much simpler than that and she owed the woman the truth.

"Because I love you Jane," she said simply, keeping her gaze on her clothes. "And I wanted you to know that. I wanted you to know _why_. And, melding with you was the only way I could say it. I did not like seeing you the way you were, thinking yourself a failure." She looked up to meet the woman's gaze. "You're not."

Jane smiled at her when their gazes met and slowly pushed herself up, off of the bed. She moved to Samara and gently wrapped her arms around the asari, gently kissing her on the cheek. "I love you," she whispered. "I hope you know that now as well." Then, to Samara's relief and regret, Shepard stepped away from her and went into the bathroom. "We have to get back down; I want to know how Abby and Jack is doing."

Samara nodded, but watched the woman as she retreated back to her bathroom. _Humans said those words so easily, _she thought_, without realising what their repercussions where._

Of course, she was hardly one to speak. She had started all of this. Sighing, she shook her head and looked up at the stars through Shepard's skylight.

_Goddess,_ she prayed again. _What have I done? However am I going to leave now?_

* * *

><p>"<strong>She's awake Commander, but I don't want you upsetting her." <strong>

Jane looked at Dr. Chakwas, then at the motionless figure on the bed. People never really took note of it, but Jack was among the smallest of the Normandy crew. Her sheer presence always hid the fact and nobody would ever dare call her slight or petite to her face, but it didn't change the fact that – for all her biotic powers, she was still very small and very young.

"I won't," Jane said softly, not daring to look back to Samara who was standing behind her. She could feel her standing there in a way that was more than just being aware of her, or remembering that she was there. She could feel her presence pulsating against hers. She could imagine what the asari was feeling, what she was thinking. She had to stop herself from reaching back and embracing her, but she also now understood how hard that would be for Samara.

_She doesn't want to love me,_ Jane thought as she carefully stepped past Dr. Chakwas into the infirmary. _But she does and it's killing her. She's so afraid. Afraid of me, afraid for me, afraid for love... She thinks that she doesn't deserve it anymore after what her daughters became but..._ Unable to help herself she turned around and smiled at the Justicar, wishing that she could reassure her.

_There's no need to be,_ she thought as she looked around the infirmary. _I understand. I understand now._ Her gaze rested on Kasumi who was sitting beside a bed in the corner, her face grave as she stared at the motionless figure of the vet. Abby had not yet shown any signs of improvement and, judging by the grave expression on Dr. Chakwas's face whenever she looked at her, there wasn't a lot of hope for the woman. It pained her, but Jane forced herself to turn away and rather moved to Jack's bedside. The ex-convict was hooked up to more machines than Grunt's pod but she opened her eyes immediately when Jane approached. Dr. Chakwas had washed away her makeup and it made her look surprisingly younger. There was a strange feral fear in her eyes as she looked at Jane and her one free hand gripped the sheets as they approached. Then, she seemed to visibly take control of her fear as she swallowed and turned her gaze away.

_She's thinking about that lab,_ Jane thought as she smiled at Jack and pulled a chair closer, sitting down beside the young woman. _She hates it, being here. Being helpless..._ She had to suppress her own shudder suddenly a she remembered waking up in the Cerberus facility, barely able to breathe, barely able to move... She hated to admit it, but it scared her more than the battlefield did. You could dodge bullets, kill the person standing up against you but if you were drugged and bound to a table you were at other's mercy.

_Never again,_ Jane thought as she schooled her features to calm and smiled at Jack. _I'd rather die than go through that again._

"Hey," she said softly, keeping her voice relaxed and soothing without making it sound as if she was pitying her. "I would hate to see what the other person looked like."

Jack snorted, though immediately seemed to regret the action as she winched in pain. Dr. Chakwas had said that jack had multiple rib fractures and that she had had to repair a punctured lung. Jack must've been in agony when she was lying in that alley but she had never complained, not much a sound. She watched how Jack's mouth thinned as she struggled to control her emotions and it took Jane a full minute to realize that she was struggling not to cry. She reached out and took her hand immediately but Jack shook her off and looked away, not wanting the Commander to see her weakness. Still, Jane sighed softly and sat back, loving the young woman all the more.

"It's okay Jack," she said softly.

Jack took a shuddering breath but didn't look at Jane. "I tried Shepard," she said softly. "I really did."

The Commander allowed herself to chuckle softly as she leaned forward on impulse and gently rested her fingers on Jack's cheek, despite the fact that she tried to turn her head away. "Your broken ribs, ruptured spleen and bruised kidneys told me that Jack," she said. "You did the best that you could. More so. I am so very proud of you. For helping Abby. For doing what I asked you to. For acting above and beyond the call of duty."

"I'm not in the fucking military," Jack snapped though she relaxed a little. "You can spare that bullshit for someone else." She sniffed and shifted slightly, trying to look at Abby. "It didn't change anything. It didn't change anything for her." She sighed and shook her head. "But you're right. I guess."

Jane chuckled softly and sat back, giving the young woman space. "You'll learn very quickly that I am always right," she said and noticed the warning glance that Dr. Chakwas send her way. "I have to go now Jack but we'll talk again later okay? You did great. I'm sorry for..." She hesitated, starting the sentence before she truly realized that she was apologising for. "I'm sorry for putting you in this position. I should've put more detail on Abby. It wasn't just your responsibility."

To her surprise, Jack reached out and squeezed her hand. "You did good by me Shepard," she said. "Much better than I did by you." She swallowed and tried to look at Abby again but she couldn't move any more. "This is fucked up Shepard. I don't know what's going on, but it's fucked up. Asura..." Dr. Chakwas took a step closer and Shepard hastily held up her hand.

"It's okay Jack," she said softly, even though she didn't want to end the conversation. "We'll discuss it later. I think the doctor wants you to rest."

Jack snorted but closed her eyes, looking relieved as she relaxed a little. A beep from the bed told Shepard that she was probably having some medication administered automatically. "Next time I meet her," Jack muttered. "I'm just going to shoot the fucking bitch. With your monster sniper rifle."

Shepard smiled, but didn't say anything as she waited for Jack to fall asleep again. When the biotic lay peacefully, she stood up and slowly went to Kasumi. Samara had already joined her, her pale blue eyes studying Abby. The first thing that dawned on Shepard was that it was probably the stillest she had ever seen the vet. Her hands, her face, her arms... not even her breathing seemed to move her body. It was disturbing as Shepard had come to identify the vet's fidgeting as a part of her. Kasumi looked up as she approached before she turned her attention back to Abby's features.

"I figure I'd sit here," she said, sounding dejected. "Sometimes... I mean..." She paused and sighed. "Keiji died alone. Among strangers. Whichever way this goes for her, I don't want her to be alone." Smiling at Kasumi, Shepard went round to the other side of the bed, briefly touching Abby's hand but not taking it. She wasn't sure how much choice the woman had had in her actions, but she was still angry that she had put them both in the position that she had. Abby should've known better. She should've trusted Shepard. Turning her gaze to Samara, she found that the asari had a small, gentle smile for her, her gaze soothing for all the emotions that turned behind them. Again, she had to resist the urge to step up to her and beg her to put her arms around her. She wondered whether it always felt this way whenever someone melded with an asari or whether she had been forced to take care of herself for so long that the mere thought of being able to run into someone's arms made her giddy as a school girl.

She forced herself to turn away from her and glance back towards Dr. Chakwas who was still hovering close by.

"How is she doing?" she queried, dreading the answer as Dr. Chakwas sighed.

"There's no telling Commander," the doctor said. "I hesitate to say that there is a little bit of improvement in her condition but it is still touch and go. EDI pulled the post mortem results of Nef Yanya. There are a lot of similarities, though with Abby's genetic condition it's hard to say how much more of the scarring is due to whatever the asari did to her." She frowned and made a motion with her hand to accentuate her words. "Miranda believes that it was indeed an Ardat Yakshi who got to her. I'm inclined to believe her." She turned to Samara whose mouth was very thin.

"It's not impossible," she said finally. "Ardat Yakshi has been in our society for as long as we can remember. But, they're occurrence are so rare, they are so few that... it's hard to imagine two in one place. And, if this Lenelle is an Ardat Yakshi, she is an old one. And dangerous." Her gaze turned to Shepard. "Morinth was half my age and if you had not intervened, I believe that she would've beaten me. They become stronger, the more lives they take. And, the more lives they take, they more they want to..." She trailed off and shook her head. "It will be a disturbing revelation if we find it to be true. It will show that our society has truly failed to protect ourselves and others."

Shepard grimaced and glanced at Abby's pale features, thinking that the vet looked at peace at least. "So, if she's more powerful than Asura," she said softly. "It's fair to assume that Abby probably got hit by a lot more power than her body could handle. Huntington's disease or not." She glanced at Dr. Chakwas who nodded.

"We'll just have to wait and see," she said. "I'm hopeful Shepard. But there's no telling how much time it will take."

Shepard sighed, realizing that it was the most that she could learn from them now. "Thank you Dr. Chakwas," she said and turned back to glance at Jack. "Could you do me a favour and tell me if there's any change in either of their condition. Please." The doctor nodded and Shepard stepped away from the bed, Samara following her merely a second later as if she knew when she was going to move. Unable to stop herself this time, she glanced back at her and meeting her gaze, missing the way Kasumi suddenly looked at them with a grin spreading underneath her hood. Samara looked at her sadly, choosing to walk through the infirmary door with her so that she could briefly, gently, brush her hand over Jane's back as they left.

* * *

><p><strong>They went to Miranda's office, and found the woman frowning at her screen as she fidgeted with her console. <strong>Jane smiled at her as she entered and took the nearest chair without asking.

"I hope you're not typing up a report," she joked. "You know how I hate to read those things."

Miranda glanced at her, but didn't look amused. She had no time for jokes and it seemed that the one thing her father failed to engineer in her was a sense of humour. Instead, the woman turned her icy gaze back to the console and tapped it.

"I'm trying to hack into the security cameras on level 85," she said. "I'm trying to see if I can get a visual of on this Lenelle. Then hopefully we can track her and find out where she's gone. I'm also trying to find Asura, but it's difficult. Is there anything that I can do for you Commander?"

Jane shook her head and sat forward. "No," she said. "You've just answered my question honestly. I wanted to find out where we're going to from here." She glanced back at Samara who slowly took the chair beside her. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Samara's mouth was thin and Jane got the distinct impression that she was trying very hard not to look at her and rather focus all of her attention on Miranda. "I'll go and see if I can find any witnesses," she said. "It's my experience that there's always somebody who notices something worthwhile. In fact..." She got up suddenly. "I think, with your leave Commander, I'll go right now. The longer we wait, the faster the trail will run cold."

Jane blinked at her and nodded, wondering what she would find. "Of course Samara," she said. "Do what you think is best." She hesitated. "Please though – don't engage Lenelle if you find her. I don't want another one of my crew members in the infirmary. Maybe you should take someone with you."

Samara shook her head and headed for the door, nodding at Miranda as she did so. "I'll be fine on my own Commander," she said. "Don't worry."

The two women watched her leave then turned back to each other. Jane immediately noticed that Miranda had a distinct arch in her eyebrow that wasn't there before. When she frowned at the woman, she smiled slightly and turned her attention back to the console.

"What?" Jane said, studying her. "Did you find anything?"

Miranda shook her head, the small smile remaining in the corner of her mouth. "No ma'am," she said simply. "Still looking." She paused and looked up, clearly unable to help herself. "I trust that everything was in working order?"

Shepard gaped at her and immediately found herself blushing. "Shit Miranda," she snapped. "What do you mean by that?"

The XO chuckled and shrugged. "You forget that I know you Shepard," she said. "You have that look in your eyes..." She trailed of and smiled. "I'm happy for the two of you, though I don't know how Samara will deal with it. It's a... defining moment. Being with an asari. Nothing is ever quite the same again once you've shared your existence with another." She paused. "Or so they say anyway."

Still blushing, Shepard turned her gaze away. "I hardly need your blessing," she muttered then sighed and tried to collect herself, unsure of what to say. When she couldn't think of anything, she stood up. "I have to go and check on Jack and Abby again, tell me if you have something." She paused, thinking of something other than her love life to discuss with the woman. "What do you think we should do if we find this Lenelle Miranda, tell me honestly."

The officer's eyes became darker as she fixed her attention back on the console before her. "Take her down quickly," she said. "Regardless of whom she's working for. And, in my honest opinion – if this Asura has the potential to become as powerful as she and is working with her _willingly_, take her out as well. It's going to take all of us Shepard. I don't think they'll go down easily."

It wasn't what she wanted to hear, but Shepard nodded and headed for the door. She hesitated and glanced back at Miranda, wondering suddenly if she had ever truly thanked the woman for all the work that she had put into her, restoring her. True, she had a few upgrades. She was stronger, faster and recovered quicker than she had before her death. But, she was still the same as she had been before. Perhaps a little wiser, but the same. When Miranda looked at her, curious as to why she wasn't leaving Jane hesitated, unsure of what to say. To her surprise though, Miranda smiled as if she already knew.

"Despite the circumstances, you look better Commander," she said out of the blue. "I hope... things work out. For all of us."

Shepard smiled, relieved and nodded. "I hope so too Miranda," she said softly. "Thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>The next time Jack woke up, Chakwas allowed Shepard to question her gently about what happened on Omega.<strong> Jack's replies were short and to the point, her tone blank as she described how she had followed Asura and Abby to the small restaurant where they had sat and talked for over an hour.

"It was like an awkward first date," she said sullenly as she stared at the ceiling. "They'd ask each other questions, discuss the answers." She took a steadying breath, grimacing in pain from her broken ribs. "It seemed harmless."

Kasumi was with them, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall beside Jack's bed. "What did they discuss?" she asked, glancing at Shepard to see if it was alright for her to ask the question.

"Simple stuff," Jack said softly. "How they came to Banrio, what they were doing there. Abby told her the same as she told you," she glanced at Shepard, "she didn't know how she got there."

"And Asura?" Shepard braced herself for the answer, wondering whether Asura would lie to Abby or not.

Jack seemed to think along the same lines as she grimaced. "She _said_ she was hiding there," she said. "That her family or something lived on Banrio. She said that the mercenaries have been hunting her."

"Why?" Kasumi queried immediately before Shepard could. Jack closed her eyes and for a moment that they were worried that she might've been drifting off. By Chakwas's rules, they weren't allowed to wake her if she fell asleep and they'd have to wait until she was awake again before they could question her further.

"I think they want to turn her into a weapon," Jack said out of the blue without opening her eyes. "If you ask _me_ that Lenelle is at the fucking heart of it. I can't tell you for sure, but... I think she was pretty pissed at Abby for talking to Asura. Abby told Asura that she met Lenelle and that she didn't trust her. That fucking asari wasn't happy to hear it. But our Doc stood up to her. She believed that Asura was being manipulated. Lenelle said that she heard us when she was attacking. I think that's why she attacked Abby, because she was scared that she held too much of Asura's trust." She opened her eyes. "Because she survived her touch."

Shepard sighed softly and rubbed her brow, glancing at Kasumi to try and puzzle out what the thief was thinking. Her mouth was tight as she glanced at Shepard then turned back to Abby but she didn't say anything. There was still no change in the vet's condition though Dr. Chakwas had said at this stage; no change was almost preferable to the woman's health deteriorating.

"We have to find this Lenelle," Shepard voiced her thoughts out loud as she turned back to Jack. "Aria made it clear that she didn't want to help us. But, how to you find one person in Omega?"

Kasumi chuckled dryly as she retook her seat beside Abby, taking the vet's pale hand in hers. "Look it up in the address book," she said. "That's where I'd start."

Jack moved suddenly, almost sitting upright before she grunted in pain and sat back. "Abby," she breathed as Shepard quickly moved to push her down. "Abby had an address. Fuck... What was it... I forgot... It was in the Wells district." She looked at Shepard who didn't dare to breathe lest she interrupted Jack's train of thought.

"Key Wells?" Kasumi asked from her side of the med bay. "I know that area. Well. There are a lot of rich people who live there." She grinned suddenly as the med bay door opened. "Rich people with missing belongings I should add. Where exactly in Key Wells?"

Jack looked at her and cursed softly, bringing her good arm up to cover her eyes. "I can't fucking remember," she said. "It's a fucking blank. I'm sorry Shepard, I _knew_ but..."

"It's alright Jack," Samara said from behind them without warning. Shepard turned around to look at her, though she had known that it was the Justicar the moment the door opened.

"I know where. I found a witness."

**The End of Chapter 40**


	41. Chapter 41

_**AN: My apologies for the delay. Work and writing did not accommodate this week. **_

**Distrust**

**She was pacing the length of her apartment when her bell rang. **Not in the mood for company, Asura first ignored it but when the person persisted she growled at herself and stormed towards the door. Before she opened it though, she paused, her heart leaping suddenly with the thought that it might be Abby. She didn't know if the woman would be able to find her, but she found herself hoping that she would. She _wanted_ her to be behind the door even though she was furious with her for leaving.

Opening the door, she felt her heart sink when she saw that it wasn't Abby but Lenelle. In light of her conversation with Abby, she really didn't want to face the other asari, needing to get her own mind straight. Lenelle was too intense for her at times and, by the look in her eyes, this meeting was going to be no exception.

"Asura," Lenelle said when they looked at each other, her voice low and filled with relief. "I am glad to see you unharmed."

They had long since moved past conventional greetings. Asura had found that she didn't like pretending to be pleasant when Lenelle gave her more people that she could kill. _I think you've killed enough._ She heard Abby's voice in her mind suddenly. _Has killing all of these people made you feel any better? Do you feel any less pain over your family's death?_ Pushing the vet from her mind, Asura stood aside to allow Lenelle to enter her apartment.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she closed the door. "You look... troubled."

Lenelle looked around the apartment once before she turned her gaze back to her. "There has been a mercenary attack quite close to here," she said. "Blue Suns and Eclipse. I think we should go Asura, they might be closing in on us."

Asura frowned at her and hesitated. "That's hardly an indication that they are coming for _me_," she said. "You've said yourself, not everybody is involved." It was difficult to say without sounding as if she was questioning the Ardat Yakshi and she could immediately tell that she had failed horribly as Lenelle frowned at her.

"Asura, I've told you before you've been here too long already," she pointed out. "It's time to go. Now."

Having chosen to stand her ground, Asura shook her head. "I don't understand how the mercenaries link up to me," she said simply. "Just give me a better explanation Lenelle."

She saw the other asari's mouth twitch and for a split second she found herself mapping out her biotics in her mind, hoping that if the other biotic decided to attack that she'd be ready for it. Lenelle was stronger than she was, much stronger, but maybe if she attacked first...

"They attacked two women," Lenelle said shortly. "Associated with Commander Jane Shepard's crew. Normally, I'd feel that it's the Commander's own troubles that brought it upon her crew mates but apparently the one woman, a Dr. Abigail Gable, were asking questions about _you_ earlier in the day."

It took a full minute for her words to settle in. Asura stared at Lenelle in shock as she felt a draining sensation in the pit of her stomach. _Not Abby, oh please... Not Abby too._

"You..." She started and shook her head. "Attacked?"

Lenelle nodded, watching her with a frown. "Does the name mean anything to you?" she asked. "Has she approached you before?"

Asura found herself staring at Lenelle. Abby was her secret, her gem. She had not wanted to share the woman's existence with the other Ardat Yakshi. She didn't want Lenelle to interfere... _Because I don't really trust her?_

"Asura," Lenelle said again, her voice crisper this time. "Has she approached you? Do you know who she is?"

Taking a steadying breath, forcing herself to remain calm, she took a step closer to Lenelle, unconsciously balling her fists. "Tell me what happened first," she said. "Are they okay? Are they alive?"

Lenelle watched her warily. "To my knowledge no," she said. "But I don't know the details."

The world shifted and turned. When it finally stopped Asura found herself sitting on her knees, staring at a very concerned Lenelle with tears in her eyes. "That can't be," she whispered. "She can't be dead Lenelle. She can't be."

The asari quickly knelt beside her and carefully wrapped her arms around her. "You _did_ know her," she breathed. "Who was she Asura? Where did you meet her? Is she with Cerberus?"

She had never even considered it but it didn't matter now. Shaking her head, she tried to wipe her tears away but found that there were more there. _I've failed her,_ she thought as she struggled not to start crying. _I failed her, like I failed my sister. I should've gone with them. I should've made sure..._

"Asura, who was she?" Lenelle's voice brought her back, her hands gently caressing her cheek in a soothing gesture. Asura swallowed and closed her eyes, wishing she didn't feel as if her world had ended again.

"She was my hope," she said softly. "She was different... I found her on Banrio. Like a miracle. Send from the Goddess." She closed her eyes and realized that there was no use keeping the truth from Lenelle anymore. It didn't matter.

"She can survive our touch."

Lenelle's hand froze in place. "What?" she queried softly, pulling away from Asura. "What did you say?"

Asura closed her eyes and sniffed. "She's immune to our affliction. I melded with her on Banrio. She can survive it. Could survive it..."

Lenelle stood up abruptly, disbelief making her features dark and unreadable. "We have to go," she said. "We have to leave here _now_."

* * *

><p><strong>Shepard didn't trust the salarian.<strong> She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something in him that was too... direct. He wasn't nervous or frightened or even irritated with them for wasting his time. The only emotion she could detect in his features was patience as he pushed a broken data pad over to them.

"She threw this away as she came out of the elevator," he said his voice surprisingly calm. "I saw a girl slumped against the back of the wall, but the elevator moved away before I could get in. When I summoned it back, she was gone so I presumed that she had managed to get out."

Shepard's mouth was thin as she pulled the pad closer and studied the broken screen, wondering how much of the information was salvageable. It definitively came from the Normandy as it had a Cerberus insignia on it. _We have to get rid of this damned logo..._

"You said that you can describe her to us," Samara said to which the salarian shook his head.

"Describe, no," he said. "But I can give you video footage. You see, I run a small shop on the corner. She walked straight past me as I went to put away the trash. I have it here." He took another datapad from his coat and gave it to Samara. "I trust that's what you need."

Glancing at the salarian Shepard moved over to Samara and stepped in close to her so that she could look at the picture. Unconsciously, as she moved in beside her, she found herself trailing her arm around the asari's back but the Justicar stiffened at her touch and shifted away from her. It was a small gesture, barely noticeable but it made Jane snap back to attention and realized that it would create a _very _bad impression.

"It is," she said shortly. "Thank you for helping me. This woman is very dangerous."

The salarian didn't blink and the news was clearly nothing new to him. "She has a friend," he said out of the blue. "A younger asari who sometimes travel with her. I have seen them together many times. She has an apartment in the east. I heard the asari call her, saying that they have to move from Omega." He turned to Samara. "If you want to apprehend her, you will have to do so quickly."

Samara raised her brow as she handed the data pad to Shepard. "You didn't happen to hear where they were planning on meeting?" she queried and, to Jane's surprise, the salarian nodded. She wasn't sure but she thought that she saw him smile, briefly.

"She didn't," he said. "But I have a brother who works in the transport hub. If this is important to you, I'm sure I can ask him to have a look at the picture and keep an eye on the stations."

Jane shared a brief look with Samara before she turned back to the salarian. "You're awfully helpful," she said dryly to which he shrugged.

"I've seen too many people look the other way in my two decades on Omega," he said. "It's nice that people are willing to do things for friends. And, I know who you are Commander Shepard. I believe that it's advantageous to help you. Very."

Unable to stop herself from glaring, she fixed him with an uncomfortable stare. "If you want credits for this you are going to have to name your price," she said. "We'll have it wired to your account."

Not missing a beat, the salarian shrugged. "Helping is its own reward," he said and inclined his head in her direction. "Now, if you don't mind – can I get back to my shop?"

When she looked to Samara, the Justicar nodded her head ever so slightly to which Jane responded with a firmer nod of her own. "Thank you for your assistance," she said and glanced behind her. "My armoury chief will show you out, I'll compensate you for the credits that you lost in the time that you were here." As if he had been waiting for it, Jacob Taylor appeared in the door and walked up to the salarian. "Jacob, will you see to it?"

The human biotic nodded at her and saluted quickly before he motioned to the shopkeeper. "If you care to follow me sir?" The salarian nodded but looked to Shepard one last time, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"This asari is dangerous Commander," he warned her. "If you want to confront her head on I suggest you make sure you're ready for a fight." He sniffed. "I'll let my brother send you anything if he has something interesting. Good luck."

He left without any further ceremony, leaving Samara and Shepard to stare at each other. The silence in the room stretched, made even more awkward when Jacob glanced back once towards them just as he left the room. Jane bit her lip and turned to Samara who was still staring at the picture of the asari. Abby had been right when she guessed that the two asari where about the same age. She could also not deny that this Lenelle was beautiful. There was a look of delight in her eyes as she moved past the camera, a sense of contentment that made Shepard think of a sexual encounter. Again, she found herself putting her hand in Samara's back and this time, the Justicar didn't move away from her.

"What do you think?" Samara queried softly, her tone sceptical and telling Jane immediately that she meant about their salarian witness. Grimacing, Shepard shrugged.

"I don't trust slow talking salarians," she confessed. "It means they think too much about what they want to say. And the fact that they think very quickly means that they have _a lot_ to think about. And lie about."

Samara smiled ruefully and glanced at her. "You think that he lied? That – if his brother is going to send us information then we'll be walking into a trap?"

Shepard shrugged, unsure of how to respond. "No," she said finally. "Otherwise he wouldn't have warned us. But, I think he... has his own agenda in this."

"So what do you suggest we do Commander?"

Jane hesitated then shrugged with a smile, feeling the same way she did when she decided to activate Grunt's pod. "We go through with it and see where it leads," she said. "I'm going to gather the crew, I want to put two teams together." She paused, realising that her hand was still in the small of Samara's back. Smiling, she briefly pushed herself up on her toes and, to the Justicar's surprise, planted a light kiss on her cheek. "It's a shame Jack's out, we're going to need more biotics."

* * *

><p><em>Pulse. <em>

_She was an asari, staring at herself, grinning as she killed her, delighting in the fear that she felt coursing through her nerves. _She's mine,_ she thought. _You can't take her from me. We have worked too hard to find her. Too long._ She felt a memory, vaguely, push up against her but she ignored it. It wasn't what she wanted. She wanted the memories of Asura... _

_Pulse. _

_She was an asari, staring at the mutilated corpse of her sister, watching how her blood had pooled on the carpet. _Risha,_ she thought. _Risha, I'm so sorry... I'm...

_No._

_She took a breath, and then another. _I am not this person...

* * *

><p>"<strong>And, how do we deal with the younger Ardat Yakshi this time if we encounter her?"<strong> Garrus asked as they all stood in the briefing room. Along with Shepard - Miranda, Grunt, Jacob, Samara, Kasumi, and Tali were present. When she heard that they were going out, the quarian had volunteered to accompany them. She stood near Kasumi, who stood in the furthest corner, her arms crossed over her chest. Abby was still stable and, although Dr. Chakwas didn't want to get everybody's hopes up prematurely, there seemed to be a minor improvement in her brain function.

"We give her the chance to surrender," Shepard said. "But, only if she's willing to come with us." She glanced at Samara who had been very quiet about the whole situation. Shepard got the impression that she didn't approve of her chosen course of action but she didn't object openly.

"And this Lenelle?" Miranda queried.

Again, Shepard turned to Samara and this time the Justicar moved forward. "I will deal with her," she said. "But, we will have to take her down first. She will be an opponent like you have never faced. Ardat Yakshi are strong, much stronger than we are." She glanced at Miranda and Jacob. "I will require you two to work with me as a team. To the rest of you, don't let her touch you – don't let her come near you."

Shepard smiled wryly as she shook her head. "I know you want to take her down Samara," she said. "Because you are an asari Justicar, but the truth of the matter is that if any of us gets a shot to take her out we do it. My biggest concern will be Asura's reaction – if she is loyal to this woman. I feel very strongly that we have to give her a chance."

For the first time, Samara frowned slightly as she shrugged. "I would like to point out that she will become a powerful killer one day Shepard. You will either have to deal with her now, or someone else will have to later."

Shepard's mouth thinned ever so slightly as she shrugged. "I know Samara," she said. "It all depends on what she chooses today. I want to give her a chance, poor girl's been through enough and this Lenelle might be at the heart of it." She turned to the rest of her people. "Are we ready to move out? That salarian's brother said that he'll send the co-ordinates to us within the next ten minutes."

Garrus snorted. "I'd like to point out that it's very _convenient_ that the salarian who's a witness just _happens_ to have a brother who works in the docks," he said. "It sounds like a trap Shepard."

To their surprise, the Commander chuckled. "To use a very old school train of thought," she pointed out. "It's hardly a trap if we know about it."

* * *

><p><strong>Locking her apartment was surprisingly hard this time<strong>. Asura stood by the door, her hand on the console, thinking, not about her family, but about Abby. The day the woman had wanted to kill herself, she had kept all of the doors in her house open, hoping that when the human youth returned she would find her. It had surprised her in the memory that the woman had not felt frightened or upset. She had been so determined to end her life that it governed every movement that she made.

It was strange then that seemingly seconds later, she knew that Abby had run around the battlefield, trying to find cover, trying to live. How fast a person can change from one moment to the next, wanting to die, wanting to live… Perhaps it was a human thing; perhaps they changed their minds quicker than salarians. Or, perhaps it was that they had such a strong will to live that they would defy even their own choices.

_How could this happen?_ She thought as she felt tears burning behind her eyes. _How? They shouldn't have found her. They shouldn't have been able to. That girl would've been able to take out a pack of mercenaries. I could see it… How did they manage to kill them?_

"Are you coming?" Asura looked up into the troubled features of Lenelle who had joined her side. The Matriach's features were concerned as she stared at her, but for the first time Asura sensed that it had nothing to do with her. Something had spooked Lenelle, whether it was the mercenaries or the thought that there might've been one person out there who could survive her touch.

Dead now, but still…

"Where are we going?" Asura asked softly and shouldered her pack, finally forcing herself to lock her door. "I haven't planned anything."

Lenelle linked arms with her, as was her habit, and steered her in the direction of the elevators of Asura's apartment block.

"You're coming with me this time," she said. "We're going to lay low at an acquaintance of mine." Asura stiffened but was quickly urged to move on. "Don't worry," Lenelle said. "He knows about us, I've been using him to conduct some research for me, to get the names and groups of the people who had killed your family. He wants to help us Asura."

The younger asari hesitated as she frowned, briefly nodding at one of her batarian neighbours as he came out of the elevator. As was her habit, she had not bothered to get to know anybody around her, but because she had been on Omega quite often, she had become use to the people who lived with her. It made the thought of going to live with a stranger even harder.

"You've never told me of this friend before," Asura said softly as they entered the elevator. "I thought you were working on your own."

Lenelle shrugged, though Asura felt the movement rather than saw the gesture. "Just like you wonder whether or not you can trust me, I have had the same doubts in the past Asura," the asari said, making her blush. "You should never reveal too much to anybody. But, in light of recent events, I feel that it's time we're open with each other. See this revelation as… a gesture of good faith. I'll introduce you to one of my friends, to someone I work for on the odd occasion and I hope in time you'll be able to trust me again, if you ever have."

Asura blushed and shook her head, looking to the floor. "I trust you Lenelle," she said softly. "I just…"

"Didn't want to tell me about this Abby?" she pointed out. "I understand Asura, really I do."

The words made her feel worse. "I'm sorry," she found herself saying softly, fighting down the urge to start crying again. _Abby, why did you have to die too? Goddess… Why did you take her? _

Smiling gently, Lenelle put an arm around her and kissed her cheek lightly before they exited the elevator. "I understand lovely," she said softly. "Don't worry. It's been a tough year, for both of us. That's why you're coming with me, I think we both deserve a break." She sighed and smiled before she let her go, walking out of the elevator in front of her before she turned around. "There's more to life than just killing you know."

* * *

><p>"<strong>Kill them all, every single being that's breathing in that house. I want you to kill them all." <strong>

"And the asari family?"

Abby turned to see one of the batarian commanders frown at her, he stood close by with his arms crossed over his chest, his four eyes watching her suspiciously. She couldn't tell what was in his eyes, whether it was caution or defiance but she didn't like it. "Kill them," she said slowly, pointedly. "I said: Kill... Them... _All_. Except for the target. She must be alive."

_Asura, Asura Dushkriti_...

"How dangerous is she?" This speaker sounded better, confident but cautious. Not of her, but of the situation. She turned to see an asari commander look up at her, her eyes meeting hers unflinching. She knew what she was, but she admired the power, not spurn it.

"It's my belief that she's never been in a combat situation before," Abby said happily. "She'll resist obviously. Don't let her touch you; knock her unconscious as soon as you can manage. If possible and you see that she is going to get away, use the youngest as leverage."

The batarian snorted. "So you're saying we shouldn't kill the youngest asari?" he queried. "Or kill her when we've captured the older one?"

She wrapped him up in her biotics without replying and dragged him towards her. In the fool's defence, he didn't scream or struggle. He merely gasped in surprise and then stared at her, his dark eyes anticipating his demise. She was happy not to disappoint. Without blinking, she tore him to shreds with her power and for the sake of drama, let the pieces fall over those standing around her. When she was done, she briefly found herself regretting not melding with him, to take his life energy, but that would not have been dramatic enough. She turned back to the asari who was staring at her wide eyes, her mouth clearly dry as she swallowed.

"The best solution would be to kill the girl in front of her," Abby said happily, turning her back on those gathered around her as they squirmed around the mess her display had made.

"I find that people respond better in the face of death."

**The End of Chapter 41**


	42. Chapter 42

**Altercation. **

**Watching Lenelle argue with the salarian, Asura couldn't help but feel that the alien didn't know how much he was he was risking by antagonising the asari.** Although she normally displayed quite a lot of control, she was particularly testy tonight. Asura didn't know whether it was because of the threat she felt the mercenaries posed or whether it was from her revelation but Lenelle was losing her edge. It made her uncomfortable, but she had to trust that it would improve once they left Omega.

Leaving with Lenelle was a frightening thought. For the past year she's been on her own, finding her own way, accepting the minimum help from the other Ardat Yakshi. She'd been told, by _her_, not to trust anybody. Asura had today realised that she applied that to Lenelle as well and that she didn't know how far she could rely on the Matriarch. But, she guessed that it was time to find out, it wasn't as if she had anybody else left in her life that were of any significance.

Sighing, she looked around to see a quarian fussing around some cargo crates. The port was a bustle of activity as usual as a lot of trading went through here. Aria was pretty lax on who came and went, she even let _Cerberus_ trade here which was significant considering the group's stand on aliens.

_Were you with Cerberus Abby?_ She found herself thinking softly as she studied the quarian's beautiful decorations. _Is that why you can survive my touch? Did they manipulate you? Did they design you? Your memories were odd._ She couldn't stop the wave of sadness she felt as she once again felt tears burn in her eyes. _At least I carry them; I have them here – with me._

"That slimy little _urach_ of a salarian."

Asura looked up surprised, having been so lost in thought that she missed Lenelle's return.

"What happened?" She asked and tried to pull herself together. "Is everything alright?"

Lenelle shook her head vigorously and typed something on her omni-tool. "He's moved our departure time," she said angrily. "He's not supposed to do that! And, we've changed ports. We have to get to Level 55. This is... this is... unacceptable."

Trying to smile in a reassuring fashion, Asura placed a light hand on Lenelle's arm. "It's alright," she said softly, a memory of Abby missing a 'train' drifting through her memory, making her want to cry even more. "We'll just wait. Maybe have something to eat." She wasn't hungry, but she wanted to keep Lenelle distracted. "Are we taking the elevators?"

Lenelle's features didn't lighten up as she pulled away from Asura and looked around her. "I'm going to try and make alternative arrangements," she said, her gaze also finding the quarian. "Let's go somewhere more private." She finished with her omni-tool and put her arm into Asura's, guiding her towards the elevator. When it stopped at their level though, it opened to reveal a darkly dressed human in a turian's arms, her legs wrapped around his waist as they made out. They didn't even look up as Lenelle glared at them and pulled Asura away from the door.

"Let's take the stairs," she growled. "It's only five levels up."

Unable to help herself, Asura smiled slightly as she allowed Lenelle to lead her away, turning to see the quarian enter the elevator with the two. She guessed that they had fewer scruples due to the living conditions on the flotilla. In an extended family that literally lived on each other's doorstep you were bound to learn to ignore some awkward moments...

* * *

><p>"<strong>Don't act as if you two are enjoying it." <strong>Tali said as she stepped into the elevator and called up her omni-tool. "Shepard, they are coming your way. We'll get off on the next level and come up behind them."

Kasumi grinned as she disengaged herself from Garrus, who gave her an unreadable look as he put his arms around her waist and carefully set her on the ground. "Why Garrus," she said with a smile and patted his cheek. "I can see why Kelly wants to give you a hug."

"Miss Goto," Garrus said gruffly as he stepped away from her. "This was purely professional."

Kasumi grinned and turned to Tali. "I can tell you now," she said. "I think he's very good with calibrations..." She was interrupted when Shepard spoke into the radio.

"Are they alone Tali?"

To their surprise, the quarian shook her head. "I'm not sure," she told Shepard. "Just before they moved to the elevator, I picked up a signal from Lenelle's omni-tool. It was encoded and if I want to read it I'll have to spend some time trying to decode it."

Garrus snorted as the elevator stopped and he stepped out onto the next level. "I think it's fair to assume she requested company," he pointed out. "Or just somebody to watch their backs."

Tali nodded. "Yes," she interjected before Shepard could say anything. "She did not look pleased with the change of plans."

"Well, that's too damned bad," Miranda's voice joined the group's over the radio. "We're in position Shepard."

"Good," the Commander said, her voice becoming serious. "Let's do this people; you all know what you have to do."

* * *

><p><strong>Abby waited anxiously on the bridge of the ship, staring down at the large planet below them. She could see the varying textures which proved the planet to be viable of supporting life.<strong> She snorted and turned away from the window, not enjoying the view as much as she used to when she was a young maiden. The world didn't hold its wonder anymore, but she had found her own pleasures which stretched deeper than that of a good view.

"The first reports are coming back from the planet," one of the yeoman on the bridge came to her with a data pad, the batarian confident but submissive as she met her gaze. "The forces have met resistance. Serious resistance." She stepped back when Abby took the data pad. "She's fighting them."

Abby couldn't help but smile as she felt a chill move through her, the thrill of the battle calling to her. "Wonderful," she said as she read over the report, seeing that Asura's mother had already been killed. "It's good to know that she's got some spirit in her."

The yeoman nodded but didn't leave immediately. "I also have another message for you," she said. "Captain Fedora has arrived. She wants to know what position to take. She also reminded you that they have not yet been paid."

She snorted, thinking about the mercenary group. Fedora and Jazek were a strange combination of Eclipse and Blue Suns, who worked under the people she turned to regularly. They had never met her, but had become one of her regular contract hires. Fedora was getting decidedly difficult of not having met her in person, but that couldn't be helped. She wanted to limit her exposure to the minimum.

"Tell them to hold back," she said. "We'll see where they are needed. Those who come late gets last pick on the spoils." She didn't want to get Fedora too involved anyway, the asari was too smart.

The batarian nodded and disappeared without another word. Abby watched her leave with a smile and for a moment imagined what it would be like to take the woman, to stare into her dark eyes as their bodies and minds became one. She shivered and drew her mind away from the image before it became too strong. Forcing her hands to relax on the data pad, Abby took a steadying breath and looked back to the planet, using it and thoughts of violence to distract herself.

* * *

><p><strong>She took what felt like her first breath in ages, her lungs screaming for air as if she had been holding her breath. <strong>Her head hurt and her eyes refused to focus as she stared up at the ceiling overhead. Abby moved, then immediately tried to bite back a whimper as her head pulsed, turning her stomach to nausea. It took all her self control not to throw up and she soon realized that the best way to try and control herself was not to try and move or look around too quickly. Her mind felt as if someone had filled it up with water, her thoughts dim echoes that drifted around her. She felt like an asari, a woman bend on killing everybody around her. She felt like a sister who had seen her sibling die.

"Abby," she heard someone breathe close to her as a person shifted, getting up from a chair. "My word... Abby, can you hear me?"

She couldn't respond, but the name gave her hope. She was Dr. Abigail Gable... And she was alive.

"Abby, I'm going to give you something for the pain. Don't try to move, you're safe." She realized for the first time that her eyes were still open and they were staring at Dr. Chakwas, the woman's concerned features swimming before her vision. The relief in her gaze was evident as she looked up, seemingly listening to something Abby couldn't hear.

"She's awake," Dr. Chakwas replied. "I'd have thought it would be too soon but, she's awake." The older doctor turned her attention back to Abby.

"Abby," she said softly. "Abby, do you remember what happened?"

She did, but the memories weren't her own. Closing her eyes, Abby let out soft sigh and closed her eyes again, her memory drifting to that of a familiar bridge...

* * *

><p><strong>Staring at the video footage, Abby wasn't sure whether she should laugh or scream.<strong> Her people had not managed to capture Asura as the younger asari had proven to be much more adept at using her powers that they had anticipated. She had single handily slaughtered almost all of the mercenaries who were send after her, their deaths ranging from excruciatingly fast to tantalisingly long and painful. Then, to their shock and surprise, she managed to escape the planet on a small shuttle that the mercs had not bothered protecting, thinking that she would never make it there.

_Resourceful_, Abby thought as she turned to her crew members who were all staring at her, awaiting their next orders. She looked to the batarian and motioned to one of the consoles.

"Tell Fedora's people to follow the shuttle," she said. "But don't let them engage just yet. I need to think about this for a moment." She left the bridge and went to the small room that she used as an office at the end of the Command Deck.

_Interesting,_ she thought as sat down and imagined the scenes of bloodshed and the fear that the mercenaries must've felt as they realized that they didn't have the upper hand. _Very interesting..._ She sat back on her chair and looked up to the ceiling, her mind turning with possibilities.

_I can use this._

* * *

><p>"<strong>That's not good enough," Lenelle was responding to a conversation that Asura could only hear half of. <strong>"This is a risky situation and in all honesty, I am in no mood to wait around. Surely you of all people can organise something for us... I can't accept that, you can't understand - _they'll know_..." She cut off suddenly and was silent for a _very_ long time. "No, no off course not... Yes, as soon as possible, that would be wonderful... Thank you." Asura gave her a sceptical look, wondering suddenly why Lenelle sounded almost... submissive in the last sentence. She didn't think that there was anybody that the asari would defer to.

When Lenelle shut down the radio link she sighed and closed her eyes, running her hand over her face. "We have to wait," she said simply and looked around her. "But, a friend of mine will send us some... company. In case the mercenaries find us here."

Not quite sure what to say, Asura gave her a weak smile and looked around her, her stomach twisting with anticipation. The level was practically empty, with just a few dock workers moving around. Frowning at them, Asura pushed down a thread of worry that threatened to close in on her. _Something wasn't right,_ she thought as she stopped to look around. _Why are there so few people here?_

She turned to Lenelle to point it out to her only to realize that the asari had stepped away to have another conversation in a low voice. Frowning, Asura sniffed and looked around again just in time to see a red haired woman step in front of them with a young krogan at her side. The woman was unarmed, but in full armour. Her eyes immediately found Asura's, sending chills down her back and making her step towards Lenelle to get her attention. Before she could reach out to get her attention, the woman took a firm step closer and motioned to them.

"Stay where you are," she said, her voice cold and calculating. "My name is Commander Shepard, I am a Council Spectre and require you two to accompany me for questioning regarding an attack that happened earlier."

Her voice had made Lenelle turn towards her, her face blank as she still had her hand on her radio transponder. "Scrap that last order," she said coldly. "We're going to need those heavies now." She dropped her hand to her side and gave the Commander a cold look.

Shepard's eyes narrowed as she reached for a weapon but not before the krogan raised his. Lenelle reacted without moving, without giving them so much as a warning that she was going to use her power. In a split second the asari's power flared around her as she hurled a wave of biotics towards the pair. The krogan managed to fire off one shot but it didn't hit either of them and he didn't get the time for a second as he had to leap out of the way.

"Asura come!" Lenelle snapped as she turned around and started running, motioning to her to move in front of her. "Go for the stairs! We'll get help on the lower levels!"

At first she obeyed Lenelle but soon realized her mistake as three armed figures stepped out of the stairway, their weapons raised. It was the human, the turian and the quarian whom she had noticed earlier on the lower levels. Asura was the first to attack them, forming a singularity field right in front of them as she pulled a pistol she carried. Before she fired though, Lenelle pulled her left, forcing her to keep moving.

"We don't have time!" The older Ardat Yakshi snapped. "We have to keep moving, I have friends who'll come to help us! We just have to get to the other side of the floor!"

Asura listened to her, instead using her power to form a barrier around them which deflected a shotgun shot. He and Shepard had also given chase as they managed to recover from evading Lenelle's attack. With a cold feeling in her stomach, Asura realized that they were out numbered

_What does Shepard want with us?_ She thought. _Surely, if the mercenaries attacked her crew members, she should be pursuing them, not us... Abby said that she would help me…_

They ran on, shots bouncing off of their biotic barriers as the group ran after them. Asura got the distinct impression though that they weren't trying very hard. She had heard of Shepard's efficiency with a sniper rifle and she couldn't understand why the woman didn't just stop and shoot them if that's what she wanted to do.

Her answer came when a biotic wave unlike anything she had ever felt before suddenly picked them up and flung them in opposite directions as they rounded a corner. Asura crashed down hard, hitting her head against an empty bench which disorientated her for a few seconds. Still, she scrambled to her feet and flung out wildly with her power, trying to find the source of the attack. Although her vision was blurred, she saw what looked like three glowing figures advance towards them and directed her biotics in their direction Her gaze found Lenelle but the woman seemed to be knocked unconscious and the furthest point of the room.

_No,_ she thought as her vision cleared and she saw the Justicar standing between two humans, _no – not now!_ She tried to form a singularity field but it was destroyed as all three of them focused their power on it.

"Stand down Asura!" Shepard yelled from behind her and she turned to see the red headed woman come towards her, her assault rifle raised. "It's over! You have to come with us!"

Asura looked at her, her mouth dry with fear which suddenly turned to anger. _Where were you when they killed Abby?_ She thought bitterly as she glanced at the Justicar and the two biotic humans. _Why are you looking for me and not the mercenaries who took her life? _She used that anger to fuel her power remembering the way that Lenelle had managed to gather her power without making so much as a gesture. Lenelle was still lying down, the turian, quarian and human female closing in on her. They looked as if they were preparing to shoot her.

"NO!" Asura yelled and released her power, allowing it to carry her forward towards the fallen asari, bearing the turian and the quarian to the ground in the process. To her surprise, Lenelle leapt up even before she had recovered from her charge and grabbed her hands, pulling her close to her. Asura felt a pulse leave Lenelle's body, like a burning wash that felt as if it wanted to tear the skin off of her bones. It seemed to gain power and momentum as it spread out across the room, knocking their assailants off of their feet.

Lenelle's breathing was hoarse when she was done and she almost collapsed against Asura but she remained upright and took a step forward. Asura quickly put her arm around her and supported her as they started moving. She stopped immediately when she saw the doors on the far end of the room open. A group of mercenaries dressed in black and silver uniforms stormed in, their weapons raised as they started firing in their direction. She yelled something and tried to drag Lenelle to cover but the asari pulled her forward.

"They're with me," she said as she glanced back to see Shepard's crew scramble for cover. "Come on, I'll get you out of here – I promise."

* * *

><p>"<strong>Has there been any word?"<strong>

There was a pause and then...

"As far as I can gather, they are in the process of pursuing both. So far, they are both fighting. Shepard has not managed to convince Asura to come with her. That was the last that I heard."

Abby opened her eyes and stared first at the wall in front of her and then at her hand. Dr. Chakwas had turned her on her side into a more comfortable position after she administered a pain killer. It had taken all of Abby's concentration not to fall asleep again. She suspected that the doctor thought she was asleep and wasn't about to drop the facade.

"Fuck it," she heard Jack curse. "I should be there. I shouldn't be _fucking_ here. I should be _there_. They won't be strong enough to take her on."

Abby closed her hand in a tight fist, watching it for any sign of a tremor.

Nothing.

"It's not about who's the strongest Jack," Dr. Chakwas said softly as she pushed herself up from a chair and moved around the infirmary. "It's about who is the smartest. And Jane's about as smart as they come. I'm going to the Command Deck to hear if there's any more news. Will you let me know if Abby wakes up again? Tell her that she's not to move until I come back."

Jack sighed audibly, though the noise was cut off as if she was in pain. "You'll be the first to know doc," she said, though she didn't sound very enthusiastic. "Let me know if there's any news. Please."

Abby closed her eyes quickly and made sure to keep her breathing deep as she sensed Dr. Chakwas's presence close to her bed.

"Of course love," the older woman said softly. "Get some rest, I suspect this could turn into a long wait." She sighed. "And I don't think the outcome is going to be positive." The infirmary door opened and closed. Abby counted to a slow ten before she opened her eyes again, her gaze finding her hand. Not moving her wrist, she slowly started tapping her fingers on her thumb in the silly, previously almost impossible exercise that she did when she was nervous. Her rhythm was flawless.

Abby closed her eyes and let out a slow breath, unable to stop her throat from tightening with relief. She stuck out her tongue and kept it there...

"Doc," Jack's voice was soft, startling her. "Are you awake?"

Abby swallowed and slowly turned around; making sure that the blanket was still over her. She hoped that Dr. Chakwas wasn't in the mess hall to see her movements.

"Yes," she said and looked towards the biotic. "Jack..." She didn't know what to say, knowing that she owed the convict her life. If Jack had not fought as hard for her as she did, Lenelle would've taken her, probably killed her outright. "I am so sorry."

To her surprise, the petite young woman laughed, her eyes as bright as her face was pale. "Fuck me," she said. "I should apologise to you. You fucking saved me Abby. Again." Was it shame that she heard in her voice? Or admiration?

Swallowing, Abby pushed herself up and glanced at the windows, pleased to see that all the blinds had been dropped, giving the infirmary a sense of privacy. "Don't call Chakwas," she said immediately as she saw Jack's sceptical look. "Please Jack."

Jack snorted, her gaze following Abby as she carefully pulled the blanket over her body. Her head was starting to throb again but she ignored it as she turned her attention to the IV line in her arm. Grimacing, she licked her lips and looked at her hands.

"If I wanted to tell on you," Jack was saying. "I'd have fucking told her you're awake. What the fuck are you doing?"

Abby shivered, but she knew it was from anticipation as she continued to study her hands, finally pulling together the courage to start pulling off the tape that held the needle catheter in place. _If I shake, this is going to hurt,_ she found herself thinking. _I have to be so careful..._

"Doc," Jack snapped again. "What are you doing?"

She managed to loosen the tape and pulled out the needle without so much as a tremble on her fingers. Again her throat tightened as she stared at her hands but she fought the feeling off. _She had to focus._

"I'm... going Jack," she breathed and carefully turned off the monitor beside her bed. She had seen how Chakwas did it when she was still in the infirmary when she had just gotten here. "I have to go."

"Fucking where?" the convict snapped. "You're naked and hurt. Where do you possibly want to be right now?"

Abby closed her eyes, gathering herself as she continued disconnecting herself from the medi-bay bed. "That's just it Jack," she whispered as she reached up and on impulse touched her nose, remembering how she had been able to do the same when she had woken up in Fedora's ship. Then, she had also managed to hold her balance for twenty seconds standing on one leg. She had not been able to do that in years.

"I have to go to Shepard," she breathed. "I have to talk to Asura. Tell her what I know." She opened her eyes and looked at Jack. "I melded with Lenelle. I know what she knows. Asura won't believe Shepard, but she'll believe me." She blinked and realized that tears had managed to sneak by her defences and were making hot trails down her cheeks. They were her own, but she remembered others. She remembered Asura crying over the body of her sister. She remembered a much younger Lenelle crying as she cradled a batarian man in her arms.

"I have to save her Jack. From Lenelle. From them. I have to go. Please don't call Chakwas."

Jack looked at her in shock, her eyes wide as she watched how Abby finally moved off of the bed. The vet experienced a moment of dizziness as her feet touched the ground but she hardly staggered as she moved forward regardless, pulling the thin infirmary sheet around her. She was very aware of Jack's gaze on her, but took hope from the fact that she had not alerted anybody to her movements yet. Seemingly coming to a decision, the ex-convict pushed herself up, her face tight with pain. Abby saw this and immediately went to the bed, putting a steady hand on her shoulder.

"Don't move Jack," she said. "I don't think you should get up yet."

The convict snorted and pushed against her though Abby hardly felt it. "Doc said the same fucking thing about you," she pointed out. "You can't go on your own."

Abby closed her eyes and shook her head. "You being with me last time lead to all of this," she said – motioning to all the medical equipment. "Jack, I have to do this on my own. I'm sorry but I have to try and get to Asura before Shepard does. I have to try and make her see what Lenelle is."

Jack grimaced and finally stopped trying to push against Abby, her face pale as she took several deep breaths. "How the hell do you think you're going to do that?" she said hoarsely. "Shepard's fucking mad at us for leaving, especially since we got hurt. She didn't show it but I can tell. I don't think you'll get off of the ship again. And where will you go?"

She had an idea, but she wasn't going to share it with Jack. Then she'd never help her get out. "I'll think of something," she said and turned to the door. "I need to find some clothes."

She could feel Jack staring at her back. "Cupboard, on the left," the convict said. "Also – Chakwas keeps a pistol in her desk. EDI's not going to let you out Abby. Not again." She swallowed and took a steadying breath.

"But I have a bypass code for the door locks..."

**The End of Chapter 42**


	43. Chapter 43

_AN: Again, thank you to everybody who is still reading. It's really appreciated. Also, I've seen that they've released a sample of the Mass Effect 3 soundtrack. It is amazing. You can find it on facebook or youtube I believe. I've tried attaching the link but I failed. _

**Pandora's Box**

"You're going to have to be quick," Jack was saying as Abby checked Dr. Chakwas's pistol, ejecting and reloading the thermal clip just for good measure. "How are you going to get up to the Command Deck, the elevators?"

Abby swallowed and looked up at Jack, moving back to the bed. She was dressed in a pair of black surgical slacks, and a uniform top similar to what Dr. Chakwas was fond of wearing. She suspected that it was the good doctor's and immediately felt guilty for taking it. On impulse, she had also taken an old fashioned scalpel from the doctor's desk. It was blunt, but it might serve some purpose.

"Run," she said, returning her attention to Jack's question. "I'm... going to run."

Jack raised an eyebrow and shook her head in disbelief. "Not the best of plans," she confessed. "But the same fucking one that got me off of the fucking Purgatory." Her face darkened for a moment. "That and Shepard. But you can't just run Doc. Not blindly. This level is practically empty, but the Command Deck's going to be fucking packed. Everybody's waiting for news on Shepard."

Swallowing, Abby slipped the pistol into one of the uniform's deep pockets. "What do you suggest I do?" she queried. "Is there another way off without going through the Command Deck?"

Jack grimaced. "Not unless you want to go out with the fucking garbage," she said. "This would be a great way on Illium, because they keep it for a set amount of days. But here on Omega, it all gets torched immediately. No, you're going to have to take a hostage."

Abby blinked at her. "Err... what?" She queried surprised, not sure whether she heard correctly, then realized that she did when Jack gave her a venomous look.

"Take... a... fucking... hostage," the biotic spelled it out for her. "You and I know you won't fucking hurt the person. Shepard knows you won't. Samara's the same. But all the other people on board this fucking ship doesn't know _you_ very well. They won't take the chance. Just tell them that you want to go and they'll fucking let you. Everybody with half a brain cell is out _there_ fighting your girlfriend. And then, when you're off of the ship, then you run Doc. Then you run like fucking hell. And don't fall."

Her words made Abby's self control waver as she closed her eyes, blinking tears. She quickly rubbed at them with hands that were too steady, which almost made her cry even more.

"Fuck, don't cry Doc," Jack growled at her from the bed. "Don't be a pussy. You've got to get your fucking arse out of here. Now do you remember the code?"

Pulling herself together, Abby nodded and stepped up to the bed. Before Jack could do anything, she put her hand on the biotic's cheek and kissed her shaven forehead.

"Thank you Jack," she whispered when she pulled away, resting her chin on her head. "Thank you for everything."

"Fuck it," the biotic whispered harshly and pushed her away, her eyes bright. "Fucking get out of here. Now."

Abby turned without looking at her again and looked towards the door, her mouth dry with fear. She had to take a steadying breath as she gathered her courage, clenching her hands together. Then, she walked to the door and opened it. She didn't look back to Jack for reassurance and tried to push all other thoughts out of her mind. Just before she left the safety of the infirmary, she looked around the mess hall – relieved that Jack was right. The level was empty so she bolted for the elevator, her body shivering with adrenaline. There, she called it down; only find that the door made a negative beeping sound.

"Dr. Gable," EDI's voice appeared out of nowhere. "You are not authorised to leave this level."

Abby jumped, but didn't respond to her as she looked at the lock in front of her, wondering whether Jack's key counted for the elevators as well. She didn't get the chance to find out as the elevator doors opened, revealing a concerned looking Dr. Chakwas. Abby stared at the doctor in shock, who didn't notice her immediately as she turned to leave the elevator. When Dr. Chakwas looked up, her face mirrored surprise when she noticed Abby, right before her expression turned to irritation.

"Dr. Gable what are you doing here?" She demanded. "You should not be up."

Abby stared at her, trying to form some words to explain herself. When the good doctor took a step towards her though she reacted quickly, reaching for the gun in her pocket and pointing it to her, her stomach twisting painfully.

"Dr. Chakwas," she breathed. "Please... Get back into the elevator."

"Abby!" Dr. Chakwas exclaimed surprised. "Put that down, what are you doing? What have you done to Jack?"

Abby stepped towards her quickly, before it dawned on EDI that she could just close the elevator to save Dr. Chakwas. As she hoped, Dr. Chakwas stepped back, moving into the corner of the elevator as she raised her hands slightly.

"Abby," she said in a steadier tone, "what are you doing, love?"

_Save me,_ Abby thought as she stared at the older woman. _I can't do this._

"I have to go," she managed to breath. "To... To the Command Deck. I have to leave this ship Dr. Chakwas."

The doctor's mouth thinned as she glanced at EDI's console, her hands still raised. It dawned on Abby that the woman had probably been in the military all her life and, if she wanted to, she could probably disarm her in an instant.

"Why?" Dr. Chakwas asked instead, her gaze returning to Abby's briefly before she looked at the gun. Thinking that she was probably planning on how to disarm her, Abby tightened her grip on it.

"Because I have to," she said. "EDI, please take us up to the Command Deck."

The AI didn't sound impressed as she appeared in the elevator. "My protocol dictates that I am not to obey you Dr. Gable, you are clearly not of a sane mind."

Abby snorted and glared at the AI for a moment. "What do you know of a sane mind?" she snapped. "Now, take me up EDI or I swear I will shoot Dr. Chakwas. I have to leave this ship. Now!"

Dr. Chakwas swallowed, her gaze still on the gun. Abby saw her lick her lips, then suddenly – her face softened as she seemed to come to some sort of decision. "EDI," the doctor said softly. "Take us up to the Command Deck. Please. That's an order. With Shepard and Miranda gone, I am the highest ranking officer on this ship. Take us up." To Abby's surprise, she smiled at her. "We'd hate for there to be an incident."

The smile almost made her loose her nerve, the kindness and understanding that the doctor showed her threatening to rob her of what kept her going. It took all her effort not to put down the gun and weep in the doctor's arms, telling her of what had happened and what she discovered but Abby knew that she couldn't break, not now. This was not about them anymore or even Commander Shepard. It was about her and the hope, the dear sweet, _bitter_ hope that she was feeling.

_So, this is what Asura felt when she found me,_ Abby thought as she felt the elevator begin to move. _This is what made her want to protect me, keep me. Are we the other's Pandora's Box? That vessel which carries hope?_

"Dr. Gable," Dr. Chakwas said, her tone still calm. "Your hands are remarkably steady."

Abby looked up and realized that she had also been staring at her hands and not at the doctor. None the less, Dr. Chakwas had remained where she was, her face critical as she studied Abby. She didn't reply, again because she was so frightened of losing her nerve.

"I'll leave you in the Normandy," she said instead. "I just need you to get me out."

Dr. Chakwas turned her head to the side, studying her. Abby couldn't believe the elevator was taking so _long_. Miranda would _never_ tolerate something like this on her day to day life.

"You can just ask me for help," the older woman said. "How else do you see this playing out Abby? Did you think about what you're doing?"

She didn't want to admit it, but she hadn't really thought about it. Now that she had realized that Dr. Chakwas might disarm her, she didn't want to get too close to the doctor, but she could also not use her successfully as a hostage if she kept her at arm's length. Heaven forbid, she didn't want to get shot again, once in a month is enough...

"Look Dr. Chakwas," she said – trying to keep her voice steady. "I can't ask you to help me because I'm doing this for me, not anybody else. I have to go to Asura. I have to tell her about Lenelle." She closed her eyes for a brief second before she opened them again. "If I have to go past Shepard and Samara to do it I will. By helping me, you might just be going up against them and I... I won't ask that of you. Of any of you."

Dr. Chakwas's eyes were calm as she met her gaze. "And why is it so important for you to save Asura?" she queried softly though Abby suspected that she already knew. She gave in and confessed, giving voice to the hope she didn't dare believe in.

"I think their melding cures me, if only temporarily." she said, the words hoarse on her lips. "I noticed it when I woke up on Fedora's ship but things happened so fast there that... that I forgot. That I missed it somehow. But look at me, Doctor," she glanced at her hands. "I'm the same again. I'm as I were." Her words chocked for a moment and she had to swallow to get her voice back. "Asura can save me from myself, just as I can save her. Just as she _wants_ me to save her. So I have to go. And, I can't have any of you stop me. I can't."

"Abigail," Dr. Chakwas said kindly. "Look, I can understand what you must be feeling, but if you go out there without help you'll get yourself killed. Just stay here and trust that Shepard will do what is right."

She shook her head immediately moved to the back end of the elevator, motioning to Dr. Chakwas to stand in front of the door. "What is right isn't always what needs to be done," she said. "If Shepard feels that it's right, she'll kill Asura. I know she will. I'm dead without her anyway Dr. Chakwas. Now, step in front of the door and open it. Please."

The doctor's eyes were sad when she met her gaze. "Abby," she said softly. "None of us would want to see you die. But I will help you, you don't have to use violence, so put that gun away. I know how important this is to you, so I'll take you to the door. If that is what you feel you must do."

Abby grimaced and swallowed, nodding as she did so. "I'm sorry Dr. Chakwas," she said softly. "I have to do this and I don't want to get any of you involved. Not now, not when so much is at stake." She lowered her head and then slowly lowered her gun, trusting the doctor to do as she said. "Not after what happened to Jack."

The doctor smiled at her and, to her surprise, held out her hands as if she wanted to embrace her. Abby hesitated, still worried that the woman might try and stop her. In response to her distrust, Dr. Chakwas laughed and shook her head, boldly stepping up to Abby and wrapping her arms around her.

"You're not alone in this world Abby," she said softly. "A murderer is not the only person that you have to return to. Remember that." She shifted and turned, linking her arm with Abby's as the door opened onto the Command Deck. Many turned to look at them, their eyes widening when they saw Abby holding a gun but they stayed their distance when Chakwas motioned them to. She took her to the airlock in silence, even holding up a hand when Kelly wanted to approach them. Abby followed her numbly, relieved and horrified at the same time that she was once again going to leave the Normandy alone.

The last time had not ended well, but... It had given her hope.

When they reached the airlock Dr. Chakwas opened the door for her and pushed her outside, looking at her sadly, as if she was memorising her, not expecting her to return.

"God speed Abby," she said softly and closed the airlock without offering her a chance to say anything else.

She stared at if for a long time, then pocketed the gun which she had been holding in her hand and started running.

* * *

><p><strong>She went to Aria. <strong>

Aria knew everything about Omega, every second that it happened. Aria had resources, power and influence. How she was going to get her to _help_ her Abby didn't know, but she felt that going to the asari was the best option that she had. She ran into Afterlife, slipping past the bouncer and bolting for Aria's section. Some of the guards shouted at her and followed, but to her relief they didn't risk shooting in the crowded club, instead trying to catch her on foot. Abby made herself small and wove through the crowd quickly. She ducked when the turian guard looked their way, seeing his confusion when he looked at the guards chasing her. She took that moment to sprint past him and rush up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"Aria," she managed once, reaching the top just in time to see the Pirate Queen stand up in irritation. There was a volus with her, telling a story he didn't bother ending due to the interruption.

"But then," he said oblivious to the racket behind him as Aria's turian guard dove Abby off of her feet and threw her to the ground. "I took an arrow in the knee..."

Abby looked up to see the batarian guard come at her from the other side and raise his weapon as if to shoot her. She closed her eyes, expecting the worst when Aria stood up and said in a voice ringing with authority...

"Wait... Get her up."

Abby breathed a sigh of relief as she was manhandled to her feet. The turian scanned her person and quickly found the gun that she had, taking it from her pocket and throwing it to his mate. Then he stood behind her, his own pistol raised in threat. Aria seemed oblivious to her guards' actions as she studied Abby from head to toe, her mouth twisted in a humourless smile.

"My my my," she said softly. "Cerberus seems to be getting better and better at bringing people back from the dead." She looked up to meet Abby's gaze. "I did not expect to see _you_ standing again Dr. Abigail Gable."

Cringing at the use of her full name, Abby glanced at the turian and then back towards Aria.

"I wasn't dead," she said. "Cerberus didn't bring me back."

Aria chuckled and motioned to the volus to get out. He seemed disappointed as he pushed himself up and waddled past Abby, glaring up at her. "I had an appointment Earth-clan," he said. "You have shown me no respect." Abby thought to point out that it was _Aria_ who had chased him away but decided that under the circumstances it might not be the best course of action. When the volus was gone, Aria chuckled to herself and poured a glass of dark liquid from a bottle on the table.

"No," she said. "You weren't dead it seemed. But, you should've been." She sat down on her chair and looked at Abby expectantly. "I heard what happened to you Dr. Gable, I saw the footage. Tell me, how is it that _you_ are standing here before me. I haven't been this surprised in _many_ years."

Abby swallowed and ignored her question. "I want to know where Shepard is," she said. "You know about everything that happens on this rock. I have to get to Shepard and everybody who could've taken me from the Normandy is already with her."

Aria snorted and took a sip of her drink, studying Abby closely. "I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear your tone," she pointed out. "Now, tell me how it is possible for you to be standing here before me. Come now child, you're not getting any younger."

Crossing her arms, Abby shook her head. "I'm not playing your games Aria," she hissed. "I'm not worried about your men shooting me. My question isn't difficult; all I'm asking you is to tell me where Shepard is. Please."

Chuckling softly, Aria set down her glass and stood up slowly, moving closer to Abby, her expression almost sultry as she reached out and caressed her cheek. Abby's first instinct was to move away but she stood firm, glaring up at the tall asari. "You don't understand pet," Aria said smoothly as the batarian stepped in closer so that he could remind Abby that he still had a gun at her. "On Omega, just saying _please_ doesn't work."

Abby met Aria's gaze boldly as the asari put her hand over her throat, tightening it ever so slightly. Uncrossing her arms slowly, Abby relaxed her hands slightly as she stared into Aria's gaze. She reached up as if she wanted to caress the asari's cheek but when she reached her throat stopped and quickly opened her hand, pressing the scalpel that she had stolen from the infirmary against her throat. Aria's eyes widened in shock, she had not seen that coming.

"Please," Abby said as Aria's guards suddenly cursed and shifted, noticing for the first time that she had the tiny knife. She hoped that they would not be able to shoot her and risk harming Aria in the process. She didn't even think that _she'd_ be able to harm Aria but she didn't want to give them that impression.

Aria's smile was colder as she continued to stare down at her, her hand tightening even more on Abby's throat.

"Another surprise," she murmured, holding up her hand to show her guards that they shouldn't shoot. "I'm willing to say Dr. Gable that you are quite... a bag of tricks. But tell me, what are you going to do? Cut my throat and take over ruling Omega? What's to stop me from using my biotics to crush you? From the inside out?"

Abby swallowed but sniffed and shook her head. "Who says your biotics can harm me?" she said coldly. "I'm not afraid to die Aria. I don't want your planet, or your life. I just want to know where Shepard and Asura is."

The last name slipped in and she regretted it immediately as Aria raised her brow. "So," she said with a small smile. "This is about the young Ardat Yakshi. Naturally." Her eyes were cold when they met Abby's. "Alright Dr. Gable, I see you are eager to make this deal. I'll tell you where Shepard is... Heck, I'll even get my people to _take_ you, if you tell me why you have not just one, but _two_ Ardat Yakshi in your history. And you're still alive."

Abby hesitated, wondering whether the asari was telling the truth or whether she was just offering it to try and get her to back off.

"Promise?" she queried, silently fuming when Aria started laughing.

"Goddess," the asari laughed. "You are so naive. Yes Dr. Gable, I promise. If you give me what I want, I'll get my people to take you to where Shepard is."

Abby hesitated then slowly lowered her knife. She took a moment to wait, checking to see if Aria's people were going to shoot her but when they didn't, she sighed and shrugged with one shoulder.

"I can survive melding with them," she said. "Asura melded with me a couple of days ago. Lenelle, as you know, tried to kill me. But I survived that to. It's to do with my genetics. I'm... unique." She smiled bitterly and closed her eyes, still waiting for the bullet. Instead though, she heard the asari make a surprised sound deep in her throat and opened her eyes to see Aria staring at her, her face a picture of true surprise.

"Where do you come from Abigail?" she queried. "Truly? My sources told me that Shepard picked you up on Banrio. Where were you before that?"

Abby's mouth thinned as she shrugged. "Earth," she said. "My earth. Where this isn't real, where this couldn't be real. I'll tell you all about it, if you take me to Shepard and Asura. Now. Please."

Aria stared at her for a second longer then turned around to head back to her couch, snapping her fingers at her guards as she did so. "Transport hub," she snapped at the batarian. "Level 55. Or where the latest reports put them. See to it that she makes it there." She sat down and turned to Abby. "I'm looking forward to our future chat."

Abby stared at her shocked, for a moment unable to believe that she had succeeded in what she came here to do. Looking at the batarian guard who had growled and lowered his weapon, she took a step back and inclined her head awkwardly, hoping that Aria saw it as a sign of gratitude and respect.

"Thank you," she breathed. "Thank you very much Aria."

The Pirate Queen smiled as she folded her hands in her lap.

"Don't thank me yet, Dr. Gable," she said with a smile. "You and I have only started to get to know each other."

Not liking the way it sounded, but finding that she didn't care, Abby turned around and fell instep next to the batarian guard who had motioned at her to follow him. She felt Aria's eyes on her as she left the platform and hurried down the stairs. She still felt them when they crossed Afterlife's main floor but didn't dare look back. She had done what she had to do to try and save Asura and she could not make herself regret it.

She had to give herself that hope.

**The End of Chapter 43**

_AN: Shorter, yes I know. It seemed like a good place to end it. _


	44. Chapter 44

_AN: My apologies for the long delay. It's that time of the year. Merry belated Christmas everybody and a Happy New Year on this last eve of 2011. Enjoy what's left of it. _

**Going Places.**

"**There's a shuttle waiting for us at the top!" **Lenelle snapped as they rushed up the stairs, their breathing heavy. Asura was two steps behind her, her lungs burning in her chest as she glanced down to see that the mercenaries were still following them, providing cover. They made her _very_ uneasy but she had to trust Lenelle.

"Who's supplying it?" she demanded as they turned up another set. "Is it still coming or is it there already?"

"It will be there," Lenelle said with conviction, taking the set of stairs two at a time. "My friend. I have connections. They can work _very_ fast."

Asura felt a rush of trepidation, once again thinking that she really didn't know anything about Lenelle. But, again, it wasn't as if she had anybody else that she could trust now. Shepard clearly thought that they had something to do with the attack... She missed a step suddenly and had to catch herself before she fell.

"Asura come on!" Lenelle called back. "We have to keep moving."

She quickly picked up her pace again, but the cold pit in her stomach didn't go away. _Why was Commander Shepard chasing them?_

"They're in the staircase!" One of the mercenaries snapped suddenly. "We have to move!"

Lenelle growled something and stopped briefly, motioning to Asura to run past her. "Lay down cover," she snapped at her people. "Keep them in one spot. Give us time." Her tone held a chilling amount of command, the same command Asura had heard from the countless mercenaries that she faced when she tried to reach their superiors.

The people Lenelle had told her to kill.

_No,_ she thought suddenly, stopping her train of thought immediately before it led her down a path she didn't want to take. She had to trust Lenelle. If she could not trust her, who else was left?

* * *

><p><strong>They did not expect the firepower that came to the two asari's aid and it made the chase considerably harder.<strong> Outnumbered and constantly under the threat of being pinned down, Shepard and her crew barely managed to stay in sight of Lenelle and Asura as the two continued to move across the level. They had called up the salarian, Tuvok, who had organised all of this to warn him that they were moving off of Level 55. He proved to be quite useful and managed to trap the two in the staircase. Although they could still move up, it was impossible for them to move out onto another level. Under normal circumstances, Shepard would've taken the time to wonder why he held so much power in this section but as it were, she was just relieved that they had _some_ backup, regardless of where it came from.

Tali and Kasumi had moved away from the group, having gone through one of the other doors to try and find another, faster way up to the top level, leaving the rest to pursue the mercenaries up the stairs. At first Shepard thought that they were Cerberus but Miranda quickly dispelled that suspicion, saying that the armour didn't match theirs. It seemed that the mercenaries were deliberately untraceable which made Shepard very uneasy.

She wasn't allowed the luxury of debating this for long when they were ambushed up one flight of stairs by a stationary group of mercenaries who were positioned at the one turn. When Jane, who was leading the chase, saw them she immediately yelled at her crew to retreat. They had to back down, their kinetic barriers keeping them from being shot. They expected the mercs to pursue them but they had taken up a formation were holding the position.

Aggravated, Jane glanced at her team and then up the stairs where the mercenaries were. "We have to get through them," she snapped.

Grunt sneered as he pushed past the others that were present. "I will make a path," he growled and – before Shepard could protest - charged up the stairs. Jane and Garrus moved in behind him quickly, shooting those who leapt out of the krogan's way. Grunt didn't falter, even as their shots bounced off of his kinetic shield. Garrus and Jane made sure that the mercenaries were decimated by the time that his shield flickered out. He grinned at them when he turned around, his eyes bright as he shot one of the mercs that was still twisting on the floor.

"Are we going?" he asked when his shield flickered back.

Jane was about to comment when her radio came to life. _"Commander,"_ the salarian called to her_. "Your targets are about to reach the top floor. It seems that they have arranged for transport to pick them up there." _

Cursing, Jane quickly motioned to the rest of the crew to start moving again. "Can you tell if it's already on its way?" she queried, taking the lead as they raced up the stairs. "How far are we from them?"

"_Close Commander,"_ Tuvok said. _"And no, there are no inbound crafts on my system yet." _

Relieved, Jane motioned to the biotics on her team to stick close to her. "Good," she said. "Then we might still have some time..."

"_Commander," _Tuvok said suddenly, his tone apprehensive. "_Two of your team members are about to be pinned down by..." _His call was cut off when Tali's came through on Shepard's line.

"Shepard!" she said, her voice urgent. "Kasumi and I ran into a dead end! We're pinned by a group of mercs! We're sitting ducks!" Jane's heart skipped a beat as she heard the urgency in her team mate's voice. Neither Kasumi nor Tali were very good with intense combat. Their skills were in infiltration and reconnaissance and they never carried very heavy fire power.

"Where are you?" she queried immediately, looking towards Garrus who shifted with apprehension. Like Shepard, he considered Tali to be like a younger sister, one he needed to protect (even though he could also tease her relentlessly about being a quarian...). There was a pause on the other end of the line and some clear fire.

"Near the entrance of Level 64!" Tali replied quickly. "We can't get to the door! I don't know where they came from!"

Garrus looked to their level number, his mandibles opening and closing before he spoke. "We've just passed it Shepard," he said. "We need to get them!"

Grimacing, Shepard tried to push down a rush of dread. "We can't risk losing Lenelle and Asura," she said. "You go, take Grunt. We'll continue to follow them!" She turned her attention to her radio. "Tali, I'm sending reinforcements. Just sit tight!"

Garrus hesitated, not leaving immediately. "Will you be alright on your own?" he queried.

Jane nodded immediately and motioned to Samara, Miranda and Jacob. "They're with me," she said. "And, ultimately this is going to come down to a battle of biotics Garrus. We'll be fine. Go, help Tali and then come up when you're ready. Go with him Grunt."

The krogan grumbled something but when Garrus started heading down the stairs he followed immediately. Looking at Samara, Jacob and Miranda, Jane took a steady breath and motioned them to continue in the opposite direction...

* * *

><p>"<strong>Here!" Lenelle said as they finally reached the last flight of stairs.<strong> "This leads to a private launch pad. My friend said that there's a shuttle waiting for us.

Breathing heavily, Asura glanced down the stairs then tried to open the door blocking their way to the floor. It was locked but Lenelle quickly pushed past her and linked the lock up with her omni-tool. She heard gunfire and wondered whether Shepard's group had encountered Lenelle's mercs. She hoped that it would stop them or at least buy them some time. She was _so_ tired of being chased. So tired of feeling as if she had to watch her back all the time. Unexpectedly, a lump formed in her throat and she wondered whether it would just be easier to let Shepard take her...

The door clicked open and Lenelle quickly pushed her through onto the dimly lit rooftop. At first Asura thought that she could not see the shuttle because of the lack of lights but, as they ran forward, it soon dawned on her that they were alone on the roof. Lenelle realized it a second later as she stopped dead in her track and looked around bewildered.

"Where the hell are they?" she snapped and leapt onto her radio. _"Where is the shuttle?" _

She waited, but there was no answer. Again, Lenelle tried her radio. "There is no shuttle for us here," she snapped. "Where is it? Is it still on its way?

Asura's mouth went dry as she started looking for cover, realizing that they were going to have to defend themselves pretty soon. As Lenelle waited for an answer, she pulled her towards some loose standing crates, pushing her down behind them. It soon became clear to her that Lenelle's contact had either been compromised, or their signal had been blocked and that they were going to have to fight Shepard's team again if they were to get out of here.

_This is why I worked on my own,_ Asura thought bitterly. _You can't count on other people._

"Fuck," Lenelle cursed as dropped her omni-tool and looked around the crate. "There's no answer."

Not sure what to say, Asura pulled out her pistol and also looked around the crate just in time to see Shepard and her three biotics come through the door. She grimaced and turned back to Lenelle who had also ducked behind the crate again, her face dark murder.

"Maybe they'll think that we're gone," she whispered. "We just have to stay where we are."

Lenelle pulled out her own pistol and grimaced, shaking her head. "They'll know," she whispered. "Shepard will search through this whole damned roof. Ssh..."

"... said that there hasn't been a craft yet," they heard Shepard say in a hushed voice. "They must still be here."

"Unless he lied," an unknown voice chipped in, her accent strangely clipped. "You can't trust anybody on Omega. Especially slow talking salarians and their brothers."

Lenelle sneered as she turned to Asura. "We were betrayed," she whispered, her eyes narrow. "I don't think that shuttle is coming. We'll have to find another way off this roof. If we take out Shepard first, we can deal with her biotics. They're not very strong, especially the humans. You deal with them, I'll kill the Justicar."

Asura hesitated, feeling a rush of unease. "Kill a Justicar?" she queried softly. "Lenelle, that's wrong."

She didn't like the look that the other asari gave her as she shook her head. "That Justicar is acting under a different code," she whispered. "She swore an oath to Shepard, she's acting under _her_ orders, not the Justicar's code. We have to do it Asura, do you want to live?"

_No,_ Asura thought bitterly. _There's not much left in life._ Still, she closed her eyes and took a steadying breath.

"Okay," she whispered. "So we take Shepard out first..."

* * *

><p><strong>Although they had been expecting an attack, nothing prepared them for the force and precision of it.<strong>

They hadn't spread across the roof but stuck together in a tight group, the three biotics remaining close to each other so that they could easily use their power together. Shepard, armed with her anti-widow maker sniper rifle had remained behind, having found some crates near the entrance which she climbed to get a better vantage point.

Samara felt the prickle across her skin seconds before she suddenly saw a flash out of the corner of her eye. She turned just in time to see Shepard picked up by what looked like a net of biotics and hurled across the level, straight for the end of the building.

"Jane!" She yelled, reacting immediately, forming a buffer with her own biotics. Before her Commander disappeared over the edge she managed to capture her and pull her back. It made her loose her focus on the rest of the roof and left her completely open for the Ardat Yakshi's next attack. A force of biotics slammed into her, making her loose her grip on Shepard as she was thrown back against the wall, knocking her wind out.

"NO COMMANDER!" Jacob yelled and ran to the edge of the roof as Jane plunged out of sight.

"Jacob, no!" Miranda's voice was shrill as she tried to keep her colleague close to her. A bolt of biotics flew towards him but the woman managed to deflect it with her own powers. Having realized his mistake, Jacob tried to rejoin them but was quickly thrown aside by a shockwave none of them could stop. Samara pushed herself up and tried to find the point of attack, barely managing to deflect what looked like a sheet of biotics which came her way. The impact of it hurt, but she managed to keep her feet and she now had a point of reference from which the attack came. She spotted the two asari as they moved from their position, keeping close to each other.

_Jane,_ Samara found herself thinking, then immediately berated herself for wasting such a precious second to attack. _This is no time to mourn or panic. I cannot give myself that luxury..._She hurled her powers at the two, knowing that she could not take them on but hoping that she could give herself, Miranda and Jacob time to recover and reform their formation. As biotics, they could not link their power, but it was easier working together as a unit – the two humans managing their attacks while she concentrated on defending them. Between the two of them they could be very... creative. Cerberus had clearly put a lot of thought into training their biotics for combat.

As she expected, her attack did not hit home but it did make the two asari dive for cover – giving her the chance to run to Miranda. Jacob had not moved from where he had fallen and Samara had to mentally applaud Miranda for not loosing focus and running to him. Instead she had kept her eye on the two asari, her face set firm with determination as she glanced at Samara who joined her.

Unable to help herself, Samara once again glanced to where Jane had fallen.

"Have you seen her?" Miranda asked without looking there, her voice tight with strain as her body glowed with biotics. She looked frightening though she must've known that if either of the Ardat Yakshi found her on her own she'd be dead in minutes. Neither she nor Jacob could match Jack or herself for power.

"No," Samara said simply, again finding her thoughts returning to Jane. _She can't be dead can she? Not Jane... Not like this..._ "We have to be quick with our attack. They outmatch us with power now," she pulled out her pistol, "we have to try and take them out as quickly as we can."

"Rodger that," Miranda said and took a steadying breath. "Take them down, quickly as we can. Right." Without looking towards Samara to follow, she started running towards where the two Ardat Yakshi had taken shelter. When Asura looked out to see what their position was Miranda started firing at her, forcing her to duck back down. Samara followed her, keeping her attention on where she thought Lenelle was making sure that the woman didn't move out of her line of sight, knowing that they'd have to keep the two asari down without giving them a chance to attack them.

As they advanced, Asura once again stuck her head out and again, Miranda managed to stop her from attacking. Samara started readying her biotics, wondering why Lenelle wasn't attacking when she saw a shimmer of blue surround Miranda. The woman yelled out in surprise, seconds before she was hurled across the crates towards Asura. Samara had just enough time to turn around and see Lenelle standing behind them when a biotic force stronger than anything she had ever felt before struck her and threw her into the crates. She landed hard, a sharp pain shooting through her back, robbing her of breath. She struggled to breathe, to find her feet and ready herself for another attack. It was pure instinct that made her throw up a wall of biotic defence as another attack came towards her. It shattered against her wall, but mere force of it made Samara gasp in pain. She didn't know how Lenelle had managed but she had snuck round behind them. The Ardat Yakshi looked frightening, her face alight with power as she slowly advanced towards her, her body aglow. Samara barely managed to push herself up onto her feet when Lenelle threw another attack at her. She didn't have the time to throw up a wall so she desperately threw all of her power at the asari. Their forces collided and if it wasn't for the crates behind her, Samara would've fallen to her feet again from the impact. Still, she managed to hold her position, her attention completely focused on Lenelle. She saw her grimace and adjust her footing ever so slightly as she kept her hands extended towards Samara, feeding more of her energy into her biotics.

_How did it feel to hold so much power?_ Samara knew, after talking to Jack, that the Ardat Yakshi was more powerful than anything she had ever faced before. Her thoughts touched on Morinth, remembering that she was in a similar situation with her daughter and, if it had not been for Shepard's intervention, she would've surely have perished at the hand of her kin.

_Jane... _Her concentration faltered as she felt a slither of pain slice through her, when she saw the woman plunging over the edge again, undeniably to her death. _No, Goddess please..._

Her concentration snapped and Lenelle's power pushed through hers, slamming into her, almost burning her consciousness out of her. She felt her body pulled up into the air and expected herself to be thrown over the edge just like Jane but instead the Ardat Yakshi grinned, her eyes black as sin as she stared at her.

"Well," the asari said to nobody in particular. "I somehow expected more from you."

* * *

><p><strong>She couldn't get over the fact that she could do the simple hand exercise.<strong> Abby stared at her fingers as she tapped them in the rhythmic tempo on her thumb, struggling not to cry. She could not help herself, her emotions were too overwhelming. She had wanted to start crying when she woke up in the Normandy and realized what had happened. She almost cried with Dr. Chakwas and here where she sat, next to one of Aria's bodyguards, she was a hair breath away from bawling her eyes out again. She could not describe what she felt. Fear, gratitude, apprehension, elation... It was all too much for her.

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she turned to the batarian who's gaze was focused right in front of them as he manoeuvred through what felt like a steady stream of shuttles as they neared the transportation hub.

"Are we almost there?" Abby queried, her mouth dry as she stopped moving her hand and balled it in a fist. "Please we have to hurry."

The batarian snorted and turned the craft ever so slightly, moving away from the traffic and up to another region. "I know," he said simply. "You've said."

Abby refrained from mentioning to him that she didn't think that he took her serious enough and let out a slow breath, looking out of the window. The traffic was now visibly less, making her apprehension spike.

_It's a good place for a show down,_ she found herself thinking. _Devoid of people. Away from where the public can come to harm... They're here somewhere..._

She saw what looked like a flash of lightening over head and looked up at the building that they were now circling. She didn't see anything else but when the batarian turned up she knew that they were almost there. She didn't know what to say, but kept her attention focused on the roof, her mouth as dry as dust. Before they reached the top, the batarian moved suddenly and dropped her pistol in her lap without looking at her, sneering when she turned to him.

"I expect you'll need this," he said. "Or is your scalpel enough?"

Abby almost laughed as she looked at the gun. On impulse, she took out the thermal clip and put it back in again, as she and Garrus had practiced on the morning before they went to Tetra.

"I don't even think I'll use this," she confessed. "I'm... I don't know what I'm going to do." She didn't know what was waiting for her or what she was going to move into. For all she knew, Asura was already dead or captured. If she was dead, Abby knew that her new found hope would kill her. She could not surviving thinking that she would have to wait for herself to slowly degenerate again. But, if Asura was alive she could still try and reason with Shepard. If they were alright...

"You're funeral," the batarian said gruffly. "Aria said to get you here safely. What happens from here on is your problem. I'm going to open the door for you when we're at the top."

Abby blinked at him and clutched the pistol. "And then?" she queried .

"You get the fuck out of my ship," the batarian hissed. "And do whatever it is you think you can do. Now get ready, I'm going to drop you the moment we're topside."

Abby grimaced and glanced at him, realizing that she probably had less than a minute or two in his company. "Would it be too much to ask for you to circle the roof once?" She queried. "So that I can see what's going on?"

She wasn't surprised when the batarian glared and shook his head, unfastening her seatbelt as he did so. "You can do that when you're on the roof. Prepare yourself human."

Abby wasn't a particularly biased person but it dawned on her that she _really_ disliked batarians. She didn't say anything else and childishly resolved not to even thank him before she left. Instead, she sat forward and slipped the gun into the lab coat pocket where she had kept it before, then she shifted her position so that she could jump from the shuttle with more ease. The thought that she had never done anything quite as reckless as jump from a moving vehicle came and went and she couldn't help but smile.

_Trust me to start living after I die,_ she thought and turned back to the batarian just as they cleared the roof. "Thank you," she said even though she had resolved not to say anything upon her departure. The door slid open and the wind tore into the cabinet, almost blinding her.

"Now!" the batarian yelled behind her. Abby readied herself to jump but in the last second her survival instincts took over and she found herself clutching the sides of the ship, frozen with fear.

"Jump!" The batarian said again and, when she didn't adhere, tilted the ship precariously and pushed her out. She yelped but the drop wasn't far. She landed in a half roll which pitched her forward on her face but she managed to bring her arms up to protect herself before she actually hit her chin. She moved quickly, scrambling up and looking around to try and spot Asura. She soon realized that she wasn't on the main floor, but on a slightly higher level where the elevator ended.

The asari weren't hard to miss.

Abby felt her heart sink as she saw Miranda hurled across a set of crates, biotic fire licking across her body. She fell right into Asura's awaiting biotic net which entrapped her. The net pulsed as Miranda tried to fight against it and although Abby couldn't see Asura's face she saw the entrapment flicker as she strained to hold the human biotic. Abby tore her eyes away from them and found Samara just in time to see her crashing back against a set of crates, Lenelle advancing towards her from a position behind her. How she had managed to do that, Abby didn't know. What alarmed her immediately was that she couldn't see Shepard or any of her other crew.

Cursing, she pulled out the pistol, thinking that she could shoot Lenelle but she immediately let it drop, knowing that she could not risk the shot. Samara tried to fight against Lenelle but the Ardat Yakshi was obviously too strong for her.

She was going to kill her and, judging by the way that Asura was advancing towards the trapped Miranda, she was going to do the same.

"Asura no!" Abby called from her vantage point but realized immediately that everybody was so focused on their opponents that they didn't hear her. Cursing, she went to the edge, realizing that it was about a six foot drop. Cursing again, wishing all sorts of unthinkable things on the batarian's mother, Abby clambered down and ran across the roof, hoping that Lenelle – who was still busy fighting Samara, would not see her. She could not imagine surviving a second encounter with the Ardat Yakshi. She wove her way through the crates and ran towards Asura as she lowered a pale faced Miranda to the ground, who was still completely ensnarled by her biotics.

"...your memories will tell me who she was," Asura was saying. "If she was one of your _Cerberus_ pets."

To Abby's surprise, Miranda's eyes were moist with tears as she shook her head. "Asura listen to me," she said, her voice calm despite the fear that Abby saw in her eyes. "Abby is alive. Lenelle tried to deceive you, she was the one who tried to kill her. Not some mercenaries. Please, please Asura you have to believe me."

Miranda didn't see her. Neither of them did.

"I don't believe you," Asura said coldly. "I know who you work for, what you are. I know your tricks and I know how valuable something like me will be to Cerberus. There's no reason for Lenelle to kill Abby, she couldn't have. I can't believe you. Lenelle said that you would try and trick me. But," her eyes narrowed as she reached out to touch Miranda. "Your memories will tell me the truth..."

Abby quickly closed the distance between them, grabbing Asura by the shoulder even though she was still glowing with her biotics. She didn't fear it, didn't fear this person.

"Asura no," she said forcefully and turned the Ardat Yakshi around. "I'm alive. She's right. Don't kill her, please..."

The asari's power tingled under her touch as Asura's black eyes met hers. She saw now that there were tears in them as her mouth opened and closed in shock.

"Abigail," she whispered, her biotics dying around herself and Miranda.

"Abby..."

**The End of Chapter 44**


	45. Chapter 45

_**AN: For Z, who waited patiently.**_

**Hope**

**There were moments in one's life which stood apart from the rest, which shone for their revelation, for how they changed your life.** Abby could tell that this moment, this second, was one for Asura. The Ardat Yakshi stared at her as if she had seen a ghost, as if the mere sight of her had shattered her conscious train of thought. Her eyes were as black as the darkest night as she stared at her, tears forming in them like disappearing stars.

"Abigial," she whispered, her biotics dying around herself and Miranda. "Abby..."

Abby took a step forward, immediately embracing her, cutting off whatever Asura wanted to say. She held the asari as tightly as she dared, turning her gaze to Miranda to see if she was alright. The ex-Cerberus officer pushed herself up on shaky hands, her biotics flickering as if she was struggling to focus on it. Whether she planned to attack Asura Abby couldn't say, so she quickly held up her one hand slightly when the biotic met her gaze and mouthed the words.

_Miranda no, please..._

The raven haired woman stopped trying to push herself up and sat down hard, clutching her head. She looked pretty willing to give Abby the benefit of the doubt it if meant that she could at least get a minute or two to regain her bearings. The attack must've been brutal.

Abby grimacing and held Asura tighter, naively hoping that this would be the last time that the asari would ever have to defend herself. She could feel Asura's tears trailing down her neck as the asari clung to her. It felt strange because nobody had ever held her with such desperation before. There was no sensuality in her this time, no allure. She was just Asura and she was clearly very happy to see her alive.

"How?" she breathed in Abby's neck. "Lenelle said that you died. That the mercenaries killed you. And your friend." Her sentences were short as she seemed to force each of them through her shock.

Abby's heart tightened at the mention of the other Ardat Yakshi's name. _Samara._ "No," she said quickly and pushed Asura away. "No, she lied Asura. She lied to you. She attacked me. She was the one who attacked us, who nearly killed..." Miranda, who had managed to push herself up and was behind Asura, stirred suddenly, her eyes wide as she interrupted Abby.

"Samara," she breathed and rushed past them to the front of the crates. Abby watched her go, her mouth dry before she turned her attention back to Asura, who was staring at her as if she had gone mad.

"She wouldn't," the asari breathed. "She didn't know about you Abby."

Abby's mouth thinned as she shook her head. "She did," she said with fervour. "She's been behind _all_ of this. She set you up Asura!" From behind the crate she heard the sound of Miranda's attack on Lenelle and she hoped with all her heart that Samara was still alive. "You have to help us take her down! She ordered her people to kill your sister!"

Asura still stared at her in disbelief when her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she looked at Abby's lab coat. "You're with Cerberus," she said accusingly, "how do I know that this is not a trick? Lenelle told me that people like you would want to take me! You could be using my own memories against me!"

Again, Abby shook her head. "I am not with Cerberus," she said vehemently. "You have my memories. You know me. I'm here to help you, I'm telling the truth Asura!" She paused suddenly and gripped Asura's shoulders, squeezing them hard. "I have Lenelle's memories! She melded with me! Take them!"

The asari took a step away from her, her eyes wild with bewilderment as she shook her head. "It doesn't work that way," she breathed. "I can't just take memories and make sense of them immediately. I... I want to believe you Abby but... Lenelle has been good to me. I... You... You're almost..."

She knew what the asari wanted to say before it passed her lips. "Too good to be true," she said softly and she could almost feel Asura slip away from her, retreating back from the words she refused to believe. "I know how you feel Asura, but you have to believe me. I've never lied to you. Ever. Yet, here am I before you, proving to you that Lenelle has already lied to you once." There was a flash of biotics from behind them making Abby step away from Asura and focus on what was on the other side of the crates. She could hear Lenelle laughing, the sound chilling her. She realised suddenly that if she couldn't convince Asura to help them then they might not make it. Jack hadn't really stood a chance against the Ardat Yakshi...

_Where was Shepard and the others? Why weren't they here?_

"What are you thinking?" Asura asked, suddenly by the expression on her face.

Abby blinked at her and closed her eyes, realizing that she might have to face the fact that the two asari had already killed the rest of the crew. "I have to go and try to help the others," she said simply when she opened her eyes again. "I can't make you believe me Asura. I wish I could, but I can't. If you don't believe me then..." She shook her head, realizing that everything would be lost anyway. Then no matter what Lenelle did to her, it couldn't be worse than the life she faced.

When the Ardat Yakshi didn't move, she closed her eyes and grimaced, trying to gather her courage. Without warning her, she took a step forward and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you for giving me hope," she whispered softly and then turned around and ran around the crate, drawing her pistol from her lab coat.

* * *

><p><strong>Jacob Taylor regained consciousness slowly, his head pounding in the rhythm with his heartbeat.<strong> Despite the pain, the gesture was somewhat comforting – it showed him that _he was still alive._ Pushing himself up against the wall where he had fallen, Jacob had to brace himself to remain standing. He was struggling to reconstruct the events before he hit his head but it was hard. It was only when he saw the bright glow of biotics on the furthest end of the roof that he remembered.

_Shepard._

He could now see that both Miranda and Samara were in a tangle with the oldest of the two asari that they were pursuing. His first thought was to go and help them but in his current state, he would be more of a liability. He couldn't even form a ball of biotics, let alone fight the strongest opponent that he'd ever seen.

And, although he knew it would most probably be futile, he found himself returning to the place where Shepard had fallen...

* * *

><p><em><strong>Alive,<strong>_** Asura thought as she stared at Abby's retreating form. **_**She's alive.**_

For the first time in a whole year, she had no idea what to do. She took a step forward then stopped, knowing the consequences of following Abby. She could not save the woman and guarantee that Lenelle wouldn't take her from her eventually. She could not keep Abby safe from the other Ardat Yakshi.

Perhaps it was that thought that made her take another step forward. She knew that she didn't trust the other asari and the course of tonight's events had not increased her confidence in Lenelle and her supposed contacts and friends. She was too easy with command.

_She ordered her people to kill your sister._

Risha.

She took another step forward. She had not been quick enough to save Risha, she had not been fast enough to get them out of the house. Perhaps if she had reacted quicker, if she had not frozen and locked them in her room, then things would've been different, then she would've at least have been able to save her sibling. She could've saved her but she didn't because she had made the wrong choices.

But, she could save Abby.

She ran and, although it had felt like an age for her to make a decision she was only a couple of steps behind Abby, her gaze immediately searching for Lenelle. The Ardat Yakshi had managed to trap both of the remaining biotics but instead of just killing them as Asura would've done, she was torturing them. And, she could tell immediately from the dark look of lust in her eyes that she was planning on melding with at least one of the two. Abby didn't turn back to look at Asura, but her face was pale as she raised her hands and trained her pistol on Lenelle. She expected her to fire immediately but the vet hesitated, the pistol dropping slightly in her grip.

"Abby fire!" Asura yelled, knowing that if Lenelle spotted her, she wouldn't have a chance to take a shot again but it was too late. The older Ardat Yakshi had already turned towards her and in that moment, Asura knew that Abby had been telling the truth. A look of horror and hunger crossed the asari's features as she looked at the vet, her lip twisting to a sneer as she mouthed the words.

"_It's true..." _

"Abby!" Asura yelled as Lenelle divided her biotics with a skill that frightened her even as she admired it. "Shoot!" Hearing her, the vet turned towards her instead of firing, giving Lenelle the opportunity to throw her power at her. Asura reached Abby in two steps, already summoning her own biotics and throwing up a buffer around them as soon as she pulled Abby into her arms. The impact wasn't as strong as she thought it would be, clearly Lenelle had merely meant to incapacitate Abby, not kill her. Asura didn't waste time as she took the gun from Abby's hand and turned around, firing on Lenelle immediately.

The biotic held up her hand, deflecting the shots, her eyes furious with betrayal.

"Asura," she snapped. "What are you doing? Stop this immediately!"

She didn't reply, her gaze quickly searching out the human and the Justicar. They were still trapped by Lenelle's power, the Justicar the only one struggling against a trap Asura didn't recognise. _I have to make her break that..._

"Are you responsible for this?" Asura yelled as she returned her attention back to Lenelle. "Did you do this?"

She didn't expect a straight answer and could tell by the way Lenelle's eyes narrowed slightly that she shifted in her position so that she could keep a better eye on both her and the two other members from Abby's crew. She glanced at the sky once as if she was still hoping for that shuttle to come before she turned her attention back to Asura.

"They are Asura!" she said in a firm voice. "They attacked us!"

Her denial made Asura very angry, very quickly. "You know that's not what I meant!" she yelled, making sure to keep her own body between Abby and the other Ardat Yakshi. "Did you kill my sister?"

_There._ The gesture was so small that if she had not been looking for it she would've missed it. Instead of looking shocked at the revelation Lenelle mouth twitched briefly as if she was trying to hide amusement.

"Of course not," she said, her voice too hollow to be sincere. "Did _she_ put these foolish thoughts in your head? You know that the mercenaries killed your sister. You were there."

All of the hate and anger that Asura had been feeling for the past year burst forth inside her like a putrid fountain. She could see all the faces of those she had killed before her, feel the memories of those she had killed by melding with them. She didn't believe that any of those people were innocent - she woke up remembering committing atrocious crimes sometimes - but none of them were as bad as what Lenelle had done to her.

"They were your tools!" She yelled and threw a biotic attack at Lenelle which she deflected, though it made her stagger back a bit. "Just like I was! You used me! Manipulated me!" The pain and anger that she felt was unmatched as she remembered her sister. "All this time, I've been killing all these people! When the person that I should've killed, the person that I _wanted_ to kill was _you!_"

* * *

><p><strong>Something changed.<strong>

The torrent of pain that she had been feeling dissipated and, although she was still bound, Samara felt as if she could breathe again. Opening her eyes, her vision first swam but when it cleared, she thought for a moment that she was seeing double. Then, a second later she realized that she was looking at Asura and Lenelle - who were standing quite close to each other. She also thought that she saw Dr. Chakwas standing behind Asura but when she took another breath and looked closer, she realized that it was Abby.

The vet was here and _awake_.

Miranda wasn't. Samara turned to look at the ex-Cerberus officer where she hung suspended next to her, her head mouth open and her eyes closed. She had tried to come to her aid, but had soon been overwhelmed by the Ardat Yakshi. It wasn't that Miranda was weak, she was on par with most asari, but Lenelle was among the strongest biotics Samara had ever faced. It didn't surprise her that Miranda had failed to save her, but it touched her that she tried against what she knew must've been impossible odds.

She turned her attention back to Abby and wondered whether the woman knew what the price of her memories had been. The vet must've sensed her gaze because she turned from Lenelle to look at her. When their gazes met Samara saw her mouth thin in determination and she made to move towards her but Asura grabbed her and pushed her back, keeping her arm locked on her to make sure she stayed behind her. The youngest Ardat Yakshi was still firing at Lenelle, her face savage. When her gun stopped firing, she threw it away and launched a biotic force at the asari, who must've once been her mentor.

_Is her conversion genuine?_ Samara wondered. _Or has she just realized that the odds were not in the favour of their escape and she adapted? _She couldn't tell but she could see immediately that Asura's attack weakened Lenelle's hold on her. The older asari had the remarkable ability to focus on two attack at once and maintain them for quite a while but clearly Asura's attack was making her lose some of her focus.

_One chance,_ Samara thought, dizzy suddenly with anticipation. _I get one chance to break out of here and kill her. One._

* * *

><p><strong>She wanted to do more than just stay behind Asura, but the asari had a death grip on her arm and Abby didn't want to break her attention away from Lenelle to struggle against her. <strong>She could feel the asari's raw power against her arm, her body enveloped in a biotic glow as she threw attack after attack at Lenelle. Whenever she had to block one, she cried out - not in pain but in anger. Abby was angry with herself for not shooting Lenelle when she had the chance but it was... difficult. When she had shot at the mercenaries on Tetra, she had done so more out of self defence and desperation. And she hadn't actually killed anybody. She had fully planned to just shoot Lenelle but...

She couldn't. It was considerably more difficult pulling the trigger when you had enough time to consider what you were doing.

There was a pulse in the air as something shifted, Abby barely had time to look around when she heard Lenelle cry out in either pain or frustration. A quick sweep of the area told her that she had lost her grip on Samara. Where Miranda had crumbled to the ground in a broken bundle, the Justicar had landed on her feet and was pushing herself up, her mouth wide as she gasped for air, her body covered in the blue flames of her biotics.

Asura noticed her as well and briefly looked towards her, the break of attention giving Lenelle a gap to attack them. Abby tried to yell a warning but the force hit Asura before she could do anything. It threw Asura back against her, bearing them both to the ground. For a moment, Abby felt that same fear that she had felt when Lenelle were attacking them in the alleyway, thinking that there was no way that they'd be able to escape now but then Lenelle was distracted by an attack launched by Samara, giving Asura the time to recover. She pushed herself up and away from Abby and briefly turned back to help her up.

"No!" Abby said quickly. "Go on! Help Samara!" She knew that it was only a matter of time before the Ardat Yakshi gained the upper hand. When Asura turned away from her, Abby scrambled for the pistol that Asura had thrown away, checking to see whether she could still make it work. She ejected the thermal clip then looked towards where Miranda had fallen, thinking that the Cerberus officer would _definitively_ have spares. She took a steadying breath and glanced at Asura's position, seeing that she and Samara were locked in a fight with Lenelle. Asura's fury was unmet as she screamed with every attack where Samara was a picture of calm, though she could see sweat trailing down her face. They weren't going to be easily overwhelmed but Abby knew that Lenelle had not remained alive for as long as she did if she could go down easily.

So, she sprinted towards Miranda, ducking low when Lenelle tried to throw her power at her. It only served to give Samara an opening to attack as the first of her assaults hit Lenelle. The Ardat Yakshi quickly focused her attention back to the two other asari, the air almost suffocating as they threw their powers at each other. Abby reached Miranda untouched and didn't even take the time to celebrate that she had not stumbled once. Still laying exactly as she had fallen, Miranda looked unconscious but when Abby turned her over on her back she grimaced, her muscles contorting in a spasm as her back arched from the floor. She opened her eyes when she clenched her jaw in pain, her blue orbs latching onto Abby.

"Ssh," the vet said quickly. "Try not to move Miranda." She swept her gaze over her person and saw a small pistol sticking out from her boot. She quickly grabbed for it and ejected the thermal clip, putting it into her bigger, stronger pistol, thankful that – as within the game, most clips fit into all the firearms.

Miranda didn't reply, staring at the gun in Abby's hand. She tried to push herself up but grimaced in pain as her body contorted again. Abby wondered whether it was the same thing that Lenelle had thrown at her.

"Stay still," she said softly as she took a steadying breath and took aim on the Ardat Yakshi that was now moving across the roof, fending off attacks from both sides as well as continuing with her own. "She said that it hurts the more you move. She hit me with the same thing." She dropped her hands to her side and took a steadying breath before she took aim again, her palms slick with sweat. "It will be alright, just stay still till it wears off."

Miranda blinked and tried to look at what was happening between the three asari while Abby once again tried to find a shot worth taking. She kept expecting her hands to start trembling but they were very steady, proving that the only thing stopping her from killing Lenelle was her own hesitation. When she dropped her arms again, Miranda reached out and touched her knee, squeezing it reassuringly. It made Abby's throat tighten with tears but she took a steadying breath and took aim again just as Lenelle managed to throw Samara off of her feet. She aimed, not for Lenelle's head, but for her chest as it presented the biggest target. With Samara down, Lenelle turned to Asura, her hand raised as she blocked off Asura's attack. Abby didn't dare look at Asura's face but found herself closing her eyes and squeezing the trigger...

There was a shot and an echo and then, without warning, everything went quiet.

Unbidden, Abby felt her eyes moistening up behind her closed eyelids. She had to take several breaths before she had the courage to look at what happened before her. First, she turned to where she had seen Samara fall. The asari was still down but she saw her stir and start to sit up. She felt sick suddenly and sat down hard, letting the pistol fall between her legs. Then, without warning Miranda grabbed her leg and whispered.

"Shepard..."

The relief in her voice was unmistakable as she pushed herself up - even though it must still have been excruciating to move. "Shepard!"

Abby looked in the direction that she was shouting and saw the Commander stand up from a kneeling position next to the one wall and put her massive sniper rifle in Jacob's hands. Without looking at them, she ran towards Samara and knelt beside the asari, throwing her arms around the woman as she did so. Seeing the sniper rifle, Abby blinked and pushed herself up, forcing herself to walk to the corpse of the fallen Ardat Yakshi. She could tell immediately that it had not been her shot that killed her, Lenelle's head shattered by a hit from the anti-widow maker.

Relief unlike any she had ever felt before stirred through her and she immediately soughed out Asura, eager to share the elation she felt at having beaten the Ardat Yakshi. When she looked towards Asura though, she found that she didn't look at all relieved. The asari was staring at Lenelle's body, her face lined with horror. She took two steps towards the corpse then collapsed to her knees, closing her eyes as she opened her mouth in a silent scream. Abby quickly rushed to her side and sank down beside her, wrapping her arms around the now sobbing asari.

"It's okay Asura," she whispered as the alien wrapped her arms around her, allowing Abby to pull her close. "You'll see, everything's going to be alright from now on. For both of us. It's okay." She traced her hand over the folds in the asari's neck and kissed her on the forehead as Asura pressed her face into her neck and started crying louder.

"It's going to be okay."

**The End of Chapter 45**


	46. Chapter 46

_**AN: Yes, there will be a sequel. If you'll have me, lol, though I suspect I don't have to ask. **_

**Salvation**

**Nobody knew better than Shepard that the world could change in a second; that you thought you had it figured out one moment and then the next everything was in chaos. **Though even she could not have anticipated being thrown off of the roof. If it wasn't for Samara, she would surely have died but the Justicar had managed to bring her closer to the end before she lost the hold of her biotics. When she let go, Shepard found herself plunging down for a second time in as many seconds but she was more prepared this time. She dropped her assault rifle and grabbed out for anything that could break her fall. Her saving grace came about a story drop further in the form of ventilation pipes sticking out from the side of the building. She managed to grab one and came to a jerking, painful halt as she wrapped her arms and legs around it. Her injured shoulder jerked painfully and there was a sharp, new pain in her wrist but she ignored it and clung to the pipe for dear life. She knew that if it wasn't for her armour (and probably her new body) she would most probably have wrenched her arms out of their sockets but she didn't. She was, for the moment, safe.

She had slid down some distance down the pipe and quickly started to scale it, ignoring her pain and forcing her numb wrist to work. When she reached the top of the pipes, and managed to clamber on top of the small platform they made where they entered the level, she allowed herself a moment to lean against the wall and take a steadying breath.

"Convenient," she breathed as she thought of the pipes. "Very convenient."

She did not want to die again.

Looking down, wondering whether her assault rifle was still falling or whether it had already shattered into a million pieces, Shepard looked up and saw the flashes of biotics above her head. Her blood rang in her ears as she sought a way to get off of the platform but there was nothing that she could use to clamber up on. She tried to use her radio but her omni-tool had shattered with the same impact that hurt her wrist. For the moment, she was stuck and it was one of the most frustrating feelings that she had ever felt because she knew that just a level above her head, her crew was fighting for their lives. The worst bit was that she couldn't even pace. She was stuck. In limbo.

It made her laugh bitterly, because ever since she woke up on the Lazarus Project's station she had felt that she was still stuck in limbo, the world changing around her but she feeling as if she was still stuck on the first Normandy, fighting for her life. It was only Samara with her love that changed her, that made her feel as if she was moving forward again and now, now the asari might well die at the hand of another.

She tried calling out to her crew members but she knew with a sinking sensation in her heart that they were elsewhere engaged. It felt like an eternity of staring up at the edge of the roof and calling out when someone finally appeared - the person's silhouette dark and undefined against the back light.

"Commander!" It was Jacob. One of them was still alive.

"Jacob!" Jane yelled up elated. "Jacob get me off of here!"

The biotic disappeared for a second, causing Jane to cry out in frustration. Then, he reappeared and yelled down to her.

"Commander there's nothing I can use!"

Growling in frustration Jane held out a hand to him. "Use your biotics!" She snapped. "You can pull me just as easily!"

There was a pause in which she suspected he shook his head. "I can't Commander, I got hit pretty hard! I can't focus! I might drop you!"

Closing her eyes, begging for patience, Jane motioned around her. "What about the others?" She said. "What's happening Jacob?"

Again, he glanced behind him. "They're in trouble Commander," he said. "They can't."

"Damn it Jacob!" she snapped without thinking, loosing her temper. "Then there's only you! Pull me up!" Then, as an afterthought she added. "You can do it! I know you won't let me down!" _Or drop me…_

She wasn't sure whether he was going to do it but then she felt a tightening around her body as it was enveloped in a faded blue glow of biotics. She held her breath as she felt the pressure on her body increase and her feet slowly leave the safety of the platform. She could tell immediately that Jacob was struggling as her progress was very slow. She had seen him do the same to as many as three opponents at a time and it happened a lot faster. She relaxed her body, though she wasn't sure whether it would help him or not. The trip up was agonizingly slow but finally, he managed to bring her level with the roof. He held out his hand and took a firm grip on her arm before he let his biotics die. Even as he pulled her up and helped her get over the small wall to the ground Jane found herself looking around for Samara. She found the Justicar just in time to see her take a powerful impact from Lenelle's one attack. Her body hit the ground some distance away from where she had been standing, where she rolled and lay still. The first thing that Jane wanted to do was run towards the Justicar but as Jacob pulled her up, out of breath and sweating, she knew she had to deal with the heart of the problem. She was surprised to find that Asura was now also fighting Lenelle, the younger asari's face twisted in pain and fury as she attacked, keeping Lenelle from finishing off Samara.

Having guessed that the older Ardat Yakshi was the strongest, Shepard knew that she didn't have a lot of time to deal with her. She unlatched her sniper rifle, awkwardly with her injured hand, and unfolded it, her gaze never leaving Lenelle's back. She knew that she would have only one shot to deal with the Ardat Yakshi. The sniper rifle took too long to reload and with her hand, it was bound to take longer. Biotics could ready their power in a second. She remembered suddenly with a lump in her throat how quickly Kiaden Alenko could handle his power, despite the almost constant migraines that he got. She could always count on him to cover her back. She wondered what would've happened if she had saved him on Virmire or whether, if she had made different decisions, she would've been able to save both him and Ashley Williams.

She forced both her old friends from her mind as she knelt in a more comfortable position and brought the rifle to her shoulder. Shooting it was going to hurt, but she didn't care. Things had to end here.

As Lenelle stepped forward towards Asura, Shepard took a deep breath and then let it out, allowing her mind to become still and forcing the tremor from her arm. It wasn't a difficult shot as Lenelle was closer than most of her targets. She pulled the trigger, crying out in pain when the rifle hit back against her shoulder and jerked in her hand. She saw Lenelle fall to the ground, the glow of biotics dying around her as she passed away.

Shepard made sure to take a good, long look at her, telling herself that this was the last time that she would ever hesitate to shoot someone. She should've killed Lenelle on the first level, before the Ardat Yakshi knew of them. She took a steadying breath, hearing Miranda shout her name but ignoring it for a moment as she pushed herself up slowly and handed her rifle to Jacob. She looked around, almost frightened, to where Samara had fallen, terrified that the woman was still down and that Lenelle had killed her. To her elation, she wasn't but sitting upright, her pale eyes fixed on her.

Jane didn't care who was watching or who was present. She ran to Samara and all but fell down next to her, wrapping her arms around the numb struck asari. Slowly, she felt Samara wrap her arms around her and hold her close, her breathing deep as she struggled not to show her emotions.

"I thought you were dead," she whispered. "I thought you had fallen."

Jane laughed, but she had to struggle not to start crying. "I would've if you had not helped me," she whispered. "I'm sorry for taking so long to get here."

Samara didn't say anything but closed her eyes and held onto her tighter. As Jane held her she felt something slip over her consciousness, almost as if Samara was planning to meld with her. She held her breath but the sensation didn't grow, instead though she felt a brush of the asari's emotions, of the fear that she felt for Jane's death, her panic at not being strong enough to beat Lenelle, her surprise at Asura's change of heart and the overwhelming love she felt now that she knew that Jane was alive. The Commander blinked as the sensation faded, knowing that Samara had allowed it to happen because she didn't know how to tell her what she was feeling.

She wasn't sure whether Samara could feel her emotions as well so she decided to show the asari in the only way she knew that she had felt and understood what she had shown her. She pulled back out of her grip slightly, reached up to caress her cheek and then kissed her.

* * *

><p><strong>With every party, there were always people who were late, arriving just after all the excitement had passed.<strong> Abby, still sitting with Asura in her arms, watched as the elevator's door opened and Garrus, Kasumi, Tali and Grunt stormed through, their weapons trained as if they expected a fight. The party looked relieved and surprised to find the roof in the state that it was in. Jacob had gone to Miranda to help her up but when the woman couldn't get up he simply sank down beside her, looking across the roof. Garrus was at the head of the party, his alien eyes sweeping the roof. When his gaze touched her, Abby made sure to meet his gaze and held onto Asura even tighter. The asari had not stirred since she stopped crying and was now staring blankly into space, her blood tracing the lines of the pool of blood that had formed around Lenelle's corpse. The turian's mandibles shifted as he seemed to come to a decision before he quickly motioned to Tali and Kasumi to go to Miranda and Jacob. Kasumi clearly wanted to go to Abby but the quarian pulled her towards the other two biotics. Abby got the feeling that nobody was going to come near her till Shepard did.

She sniffed and wiped at her own cheeks with her one free hand before she went back to slowly tracing her fingers over the folds Asura's neck. Grunt approached them, but stopped at the body, his eyes unreadable as he dug his boot into it, confirming that she was dead. He grunted then and turned away.

"See," he said though Abby couldn't tell what he was addressing. "Everything can be killed. Everything." He glanced at Abby and then moved back to Garrus who was standing in Shepard's line of sight without approaching her, giving her the space that she needed with Samara. Abby shivered, the gesture making Asura stir.

"Are you alright?" the asari whispered softly, her voice hollow.

"Yes," Abby said softly, swallowing as she planted a light kiss on the top of Asura's head, more to comfort herself than the alien. "I'm fine. Asura... I need to tell you something... No, don't get up – stay the way you are." She didn't want Asura to make any sudden movements, frightened that the others might remember that they had been fighting her as well.

"What is it?" Fierceness entered her tone but Abby shushed it quickly.

"Nothing," she said softly. "I just want to know that you saved me Asura. You gave me hope. Your touch, an Ardat Yakshi's touch cures me. Temporarily I think, but it does. I can't explain it."

She shivered when she felt Asura's hand slowly trace its way up from the floor to her hip. Clearly she didn't know what to say but Abby could feel Asura shifting more into her embrace. She couldn't imagine what the asari was feeling but she knew that it could not have been pleasant.

A shuttle flew overhead, making all of them look up. Abby felt Asura stiffen but then when it came down Abby realized that it was the Normandy's. Dr. Chakwas and Mordin Solus got out the moment it landed quickly, moving to the fallen crew members. Watching as they moved around them, Abby had to take a steadying breath to quell her rising fear. She felt someone watching her and looked around to find that Shepard was staring at her. She blushed slightly, remembering how the Commander and Samara had kissed just moments ago. She didn't know what had happed while she was unconscious but it seemed that the two had covered some grounds in their relationship since she last saw them. She couldn't tell what was in Shepard's gaze as she stared at her but resolved to meet the woman's eyes, remembering that the last time they had a private conversation she had _promised_ not to do anything behind her back again. Shame burned her cheeks but she made sure to hold Jane's gaze. Then, to her surprise, the woman smiled ever so slightly and shook her head at a thought. The gesture relaxed Abby a little as she watched Shepard stand up slowly and motioned to Dr. Chakwas to come to Samara. She spoke a few soft words to the doctor and slipped something onto her arm before she walked to where they were sitting.

For the first time, Abby was afraid of Shepard in an overwhelmed kind of way. She walked tall with a determined stride, her face showing no emotion as she stopped before her. The vet knew without a doubt that her future was now in the woman's hands and, although she trusted her completely, she could not imagine what Shepard would decide to do with Asura after the Ardat Yakshi had clearly played a big part in attacking her crew members. Yet, she didn't look away from Shepard, who stared down at her for a very long time. Finally she smiled slightly and hunched down, carefully putting a hand on the arm that Abby had around Asura. The asari was very still in Abby's arms as if she was holding her breath, her indigo eyes fixed on Shepard as well. The Commander broke her gaze with Abby to look down at the asari.

"Do you need medical assistance?" Jane asked softly.

Asura stared up at Shepard with a strange kind of mixed horror and admiration as she slowly shook her head. "Ah, no." She said softly and carefully moved out of Abby's arms so that she could sit beside her. "Thank you… Commander."

Shepard nodded and turned her emerald green eyes back to Abby. "I want you to come back to the Normandy with me," she said, still in her soft but calm voice. "It is a relief to see you awake Dr. Gable."

Abby realized that she was unconsciously clenching her hands together to hide their trembling but then remembered that it wasn't necessary. They were still normal, though they were covered in a cold sweat. She rubbed them against her pants and nodded slowly.

"It's… a relief to be awake, Commander," she said softly. "It… I would like you to meet Asura." She gestured to the asari though she didn't look away from Shepard, still worried about what her reaction would be.

Shepard nodded at Asura, her gaze shifting to the asari. "Well met," she said smoothly. "I would appreciate it if you accompany us as well Asura. I believe that we are _all_ in need of medical attention and I think that we have a lot to talk about."

Asura licked her dry lips and glanced at Abby who nodded slowly, hoping that she could convey to the asari that Shepard could be trusted.

"If… you'll have me Commander," she said slowly, her eyes returning to the body on the floor. "What will happen to her?"

Shepard glanced towards the body for the first time since she approached Abby, her eyes going harder. "Nothing," she said. "We will leave her here," her gaze returned to Asura. "Unless you have any other suggestions?"

Asura seemed truly nervous under Shepard's watch as she motioned to the corpse. "Destroy the body," she said. "I don't care how, but don't let anybody take her for their own purposes. Just destroy it."

Jane nodded slowly and stood up, holding her hand out to Abby who took it wordlessly, allowing the Commander to pull her up. Shepard made to steady her but Abby had the luxury of smiling at her and taking a step back to show that she already had her balance. Shepard studied her before she reached out and gave her hand to Asura. The asari took it carefully and tried to pull away from her immediately when she stood up but Shepard wasn't about to let her go and instead pulled her closer.

"I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt," she said in a low voice, her eyes threatening suddenly. "And assume that it was _Lenelle_ who almost killed me. And, I would also like to tell you that if you harm _any_ of my crew members again I will kill you myself. You are not our prisoner but we're not fools. And I would suggest staying away from the Justicar. Just until we've settled everything." Her gaze turned to include Abby, who shifted uncomfortably but nodded.

Shepard returned it, looking towards Asura as she let her go. "Good," she said and turned back to the rest of the roof, watching how Dr. Chakwas bundled Samara into the shuttle, the doctor had been kind enough to lend her her omni-tool. If the Justicar had protested on leaving they missed it.

"We'll wait for the next one."

* * *

><p><strong>She was surprised by how calm Abby was, her face almost serene as she stared off into the distance, her hand enclosed in Asura's.<strong> The Ardat Yakshi was more on edge; her eyes shifting from the large crate between them on the shuttle and Jane's features. Her features were unreadable but every now and again she would swallow and tighten her hold on Abby's hand. As Shepard watched, she turned her attention back to the crate and gently placed her free hand on it, tracing its lines. Her mouth tightened when she did so and she closed her eyes, pulling back automatically.

Jane sat against the wall, shifting her aching shoulder and making sure to have the asari's attention before she spoke.

"So, tell me," she said. "What happened? Why the change of heart? Why is it that you were fighting us one moment and then _her_ the next?"

Abby's dark eyes turned to Shepard, their intensity judging the level of threat in Shepard's voice. Jane held no doubt that she would leapt to Asura's defence immediately, whether it was from a verbal or physical threat. She was concerned about it, unable to determine whether it was the Ardat Yakshi's indoctrination or Abby's own resolve that made her so attached to her.

_Wouldn't you do the same for Samara?_ She thought as she saw Asura give Abby a hesitant look before she sat up, her eyes returning to the crate.

"Dr. Gable showed me that she lied," she said softly. "That she was..." She closed her eyes. "Responsible." Either she was putting up a very good act, or it was truly difficult to her to talk about it. Jane raised an eyebrow and turned to Abby who was still watching her.

"Responsible for what?" She queried.

Abby's dark eyes flashed to the box before she looked up. "Everything Jane," she said softly. "Lenelle works for someone, I'm not sure who, I might remember something later but, I know that she was responsible for ordering the attack on Tetra. She wanted to... use Asura. Shape her." Her gaze returned to the asari. "My guess is because Ardat Yakshi are so much more powerful. They can make a formidable weapon."

Jane nodded slowly, thinking that Jack had said something much along the same lines. "So you also melded with her?" she queried, filling in the unsaid detail that Abby had left out but they all suspected. The vet grimaced for the first time as she nodded.

"Yes," she said simply, sounding as if she regretted it. Shepard suspected that she could understand why it made Abby miserable. Lenelle must've certainly done some terrible things in her life time and they were all there in Abby's memory, waiting to surface when she least expected it. She didn't seem quite as daunted by it though as she had that first night she realized when she had another's memory in hers. She seemed... more _willing_ to accept matters.

Again Shepard nodded, her memory returning to the previous night which she had spend with Samara. _Previous night?_ She thought. _It felt like a lifetime ago._

She turned to Abby who was still looking at her. The vet looked as tired as she felt and it dawned on her that there was no way that Dr. Chakwas would've let her off of the Normandy.

"Abby," she said firmly. "How did you get here? What were you doing on the roof?"

The vet shifted but to her credit she managed to keep her face neutral as she took a deep breath. "I left the Normandy," she said, a blush colouring her cheeks with shame. "Without permission. Your crew let me go, I didn't give them much choice."

_The pistol she had._

Shepard frowned and sat up, causing Asura to shift as if she was anticipating her to attack Abby. "Did you hurt anybody Abby?" she asked seriously to which the vet shook her head immediately, her expression immediately conveying her hurt at the accusation.

"No," she said. "I've done enough damage Shepard, I didn't want to cause more." She trailed off, her expression becoming considering again as her hand tightened in Asura's. "Dr. Chakwas let me out though admittedly I threatened her at first. And..." She held up her free hand before Shepard could speak. "In answer to what you were going to ask, I gave her a very convincing argument as to why she should let me go. Don't be mad at her, I had a gun in her face."

Shepard couldn't help but snort at the image as she shook her head and turned her attention to the crate. "Abby," she said simply. "If we have learned nothing of you in the past few days, the one thing that did dawn on us is that you would never be able to shoot somebody in cold blood. Garrus said this, Jack confirmed it when she told me that you didn't kill any of the mercenaries and you proved yourself when you almost fought to the death to protect Jack. Chakwas wouldn't have fallen for it. Besides, I've seen her in hand to hand combat. Don't let her age fool you."

Abby blushed as she chuckled softly and dropped her gaze embarrassed. "I gave a convincing argument," she said. "I've discovered that the Ardat Yakshi's touch cures me." To Shepard surprise she held up her hand in demonstration. It was rock steady. "I told this to Dr. Chakwas. I wanted to get to Asura before you did, or at least stop you from harming her if that were your intention." Her blush deepened and she continued quickly, this time not able to meet Shepard's gaze. "Remember, I woke up and all of you were gone Commander. All of you. It felt to me as if you had sent an army after them. I was... scared that you might decide that it's safer to just kill Asura. I couldn't let that happen." Her gaze returned to the Ardat Yakshi as Shepard processed her revelation.

She had to admit, she didn't see that one coming.

"Are you sure?" she queried. "Abby, has this been confirmed?"

The vet shook her head but didn't look as if she had any doubt. "There hasn't been time to run tests Jane," she said dryly and turned her gaze away from Shepard. Suddenly, Jane realized that it was what she had been missing in Abby, the constant movement, the twitching. She sat there before her as still as a spectre. "But I'm sure if Miranda's still interested she'll think some up for me. I can feel it Commander. I know my body and this," she motioned to herself, "is right again." Her expression darkened a little. "I don't know for how long."

_There,_ Shepard thought suddenly as she saw Abby return her gaze to Asura who was looking at the crate, removing herself from the conversation. _The reason she'll be willing to give her life to save Asura. This asari is her salvation from herself._

She felt very tired suddenly and sat back against the back wall of the shuttle, thinking that it was about time for them to reach the Normandy. Sure enough, a minute or two later, the shuttle shook as it docked in the Normandy's shuttle bay. Asura sat up, her eyes wide.

"What are you going to do to me now Commander?" She asked hurriedly. "What's going to happen from here?"

Shepard could tell that they were surprised when she chuckled softly and shrugged. "Honestly you two?" She queried. "I am tired. I hurt and I am hungry. I am worried about my injured crew and I'm trying to figure out what to do with this." She motioned to the crate. "And, I'm pretty sure that you two are also most probably all of the above. So, I can't answer that question." She looked up as the shuttle door opened. "If you honour our agreement Asura, no harm will come to you here. I will make sure that you are comfortable for the time being, I'm sure you have a lot to think about." She turned her attention to Abby who looked visibly relieved for the first time since boarding the shuttle with Shepard. "And I want you to go to Dr. Chakwas immediately. You were still in a coma less than five hours ago."

She nodded, but Asura didn't seem convinced again. "What about the Justicar, Commander?" she queried, her voice truly worried and Jane held no doubt that her worry wasn't unfounded.

She sighed, knowing that Samara was going to be a potential problem.

"I'll handle with Samara," she said. "For now, our priority is to get rest. Kelly?" She wasn't surprised to see the yeoman standing at the bottom of the shuttle's ramp. "Why don't you make sure Abby gets to the infirmary? I'll deal with our guest." She emphasised the last word making it clear to Kelly on how to treat the new asari. What she loved about the yeoman was how quickly she caught on and gave Asura a truly genuine smile.

"You're in good hands," she said and looked to Abby, her gaze quickly travelling to her hands and back. "Come on Abby, Dr. Chakwas said that she wants to see you."

For a moment, Shepard thought that Abby was going to balk and demand to stay with Asura but she nodded tightly and, with one last reassuring look in the Ardat Yakshi's direction, went down to Kelly. As was her habit, the yeoman offered Abby her arm but the woman proudly declined it. Her ecstasy at not trembling was visible. Shepard found that Asura followed Abby's departure with a look of longing. Then, when she was alone with her she turned back to Jane and waited for her to move. Shepard smiled at her and left the shuttle, happy that Asura immediately fell in step next to her.

**The End of Chapter 46**


	47. Chapter 47

**Sanctuary. **

**They were silent until they reached the Starboard Cargo Area on the Engineering Level.** Asura watched as Shepard unlocked the door and motioned her inside. She hesitated there; the instinctive caution that she had allowed herself to develop over the past year stopping her from turning her back on Commander Jane Shepard. When the human woman saw her hesitate she smiled slightly and, without saying a word, stepped into the room before her, her body language daring her to follow. She did so slowly and looked around the small room. It was tidy, with a bed, a set of monitors that were blank and, surprisingly, a garbage chute.

Shepard motioned to it, her features appearing to be embarrassed.

"It's not five star," she said even though Asura had no idea what that meant. "But, it's comfortable, clean and private. You'll have time to think here."

She felt a spark of rebellion at the suggestion that she was just going to sit quietly and turned to face the Spectre. "I do have an apartment," she said. "If you think that I don't have a place to stay..."

To her surprise, Jane chuckled softly though her features were sharp when she looked at her. "I have no doubt that you have resources," she said. "But remember, Lenelle knew of all of them. Now, I don't know who she was involved with but I suspect the person or people had some resources of their own. And, when they find out that you betrayed Lenelle by helping us..." She shrugged and motioned around the room. "This might be more comfortable than your own place. For now, while you recover."

Asura's mouth thinned as she grimaced and carefully went to sit down on the bed. "I didn't think of that," She confessed, "I'm still trying to digest what happened."

The commander nodded and went to lean against the wall opposite of her, her green eyes studying her carefully. "You have to think smart Asura," she said. "When you leave here you'll be on your own. Dependent on your own information and wits. You _always_ have to think one step ahead, see all of the outcomes to a problem immediately."

Asura first thought of snapping at the woman, telling her that she wasn't a child and she certainly wasn't new to staying under the radar but instead, she realized something else.

"So I can leave here?"

Shepard raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly, cradling the arm Asura had noticed she was favouring. "Of course," she said. "I told you, you are not my prisoner. I just want to give you some time to safely reflect on what's happened. Nothing more." She raised her own hand. "And get some answers of course."

Asura gave her a blank look as she sat back. "To which questions?" she queried cautiously.

Shepard shrugged, immediately winching slightly. "There are many," she said. "You know that I am a Spectre?" When Asura nodded she continued. "I can investigate the event at your home. I can find those who are really responsible for it and find out who Lenelle was working for. I can make sure that there is justice for your murdered family. For you. So, I want to know what you've been doing this year. I want to know who you killed, who _they_ worked for. What information you were given, what you know about Lenelle and..." She paused. "I want to know what you're going to do about Abby."

_Abby._

Unbidden, her mouth went dry and she had to swallow, remembering the woman's last kiss, the way she held her on the roof, the exhilarating relief she felt when she realized that the vet was not dead. She closed her eyes and shrugged.

"That's not up to me is it," she said softly. "I mean, I would love to say that I want to take her with me, that I want to be with her. But... But, I can't just say that. It's her decision as well. I want her to be safe. And if that means leaving her with you then..." The pain in her chest was unexplainable. "Then that's what I'll do."

To her surprise, Jane smiled as she nodded. "Good," the Spectre said, her body visibly relaxing. "That's a good answer Asura."

Realizing that something had happened that she wasn't aware of, Asura sat up a little and frowned at the commander. "As opposed to?" she queried to which Jane shrugged and stepped away from the wall. For the first time Asura realized that she had had a pistol in her hand. She stood up quickly and balled her fists, planning her escape but Jane held up her hand and the pistol.

"Easy," she said. "Easy Asura, I won't harm you. I would've. If you had told me that you were going to take Abby with you, I would've shot you here and now." Asura stared at her shocked, unable to make herself relax and unable to take a step away from the human as she walked to her.

"Why?" she asked, feeling nauseous suddenly when she realized how close she had come to unknowingly saying the right thing. "That would've been... Murder. You're a Spectre."

Jane smiled bitterly and nodded. "Exactly," she said softly. "I have to do what's right Asura. You showed to me that you consider Abby's feelings and safety as well. That shows me that you care for her. If you had just taken her, you would only have cared for yourself. It seems like such a simple distinction but it told me a lot of you." Her face softened as she put her pistol back on her hip. "Along with you, I have now seen three of your kind. Morinth, Samara's daughter, spoke of her victims with nothing but simple pleasure over killing them. They were trophies, objects of her own pleasure and desire. Lenelle obviously was even worse than she was. But you, you're still different, you still care about others." She sighed. "That's a very rare quality these days. It goes far into helping me believe that you were truly a victim in this and not just a cold hearted murderer looking for an excuse to kill."

The nausea didn't go away as Asura sat down slowly, cradling her head in her hands. She almost started laughing at Jane's words as she shook her head. "That's what I was," she said softly. "I just killed. I didn't ask questions, I didn't consider that there was another explanation to why Lenelle was helping me. I just did it. I was so... So..." She squeezed her eyes shut but stiffened the moment she felt Jane sit down on the bed with her.

"Revenge," Jane said softly. "You wanted revenge." She was silent for a while as Asura tried to fight down the nausea she felt. She was very relieved that the human decided not to touch her; she didn't know whether she could deal with it. "It's a difficult emotion because it can take every thought of reason from you. It can rob you of everything and the lie of it is that, even if you eventually do what you set out to do, you don't get satisfaction." She hesitated. "Or did you?"

Asura swallowed and shook her head wordlessly; thinking about what Abby had said when they were still in the restaurant.

Jane continued gently and Asura once again felt as if she had passed some sort of test. "The man who stayed here before you, Zaeed Masani, he had spent twenty years of his life planning revenge on a man who had tried to kill him. Who had given him a broken life, as he saw it. The thing is that, what he lost sight of – is that it wasn't the man he was hunting, but himself who ruined his own life." Jane sighed softly and sat back. "I don't have time for people like that."

Asura forced herself to sit up a little and focus on the wall before her, taking slow deep breaths. "When you killed the turian Saren," she asked without thinking. "Were you thinking of revenge?"

Jane snorted and shook her head. "It's a common misconception," she said with a bitter tone in her voice. "That I killed Saren. But no, he killed himself. I don't know why – whether it was Sovereign who made him do it so that he could take complete control of his body or..." She shrugged. "I like to believe it was because he saw what he had done, that he had one moment of clarity and realized that he was standing on the wrong side. I like to believe that he killed himself because he could not face the future he was shaping, that he knew it was wrong."

Asura took a steadying breath and finally turned back to the human. "You try to see the best in everybody you meet?"

Jane chuckled softly and shook her head. "I don't try," she said. "I just do. But I know when people are too lost to be saved." She sighed sadly and pushed herself up. "I would really like to believe that you can be saved from the path you feel you are doomed to walk Asura."

She looked at the commander, noticing that the woman seemed more tired than she was before. Still, there was one topic that she still had to bring up with her, especially now that Abby wasn't within earshot.

"You know that the Justicar won't see things the same way. It's why you're keeping us separate."

The grimace Jane had told Asura what she needed to know still, the woman shrugged and turned to the door. "I'll deal with Samara," she said, repeating the words that she had said when they were still in the shuttle. "For now, get some rest. I'm going to send my doctor down to look at you, I'm hoping out of plain professional pride in my squad that you took at least one or two hits. I can't believe that they didn't touch you." She smiled warmly and winked at Asura. "If you need anything, just ask – we have an AI constantly monitoring the whole ship."

She started to leave but Asura quickly pushed herself up, making Shepard turn around surprised. Hesitating, Asura swallowed and slowly inclined her head and body deeply in a show of respect towards the woman. "Thank you Commander," she said softly. "For... giving me this chance. To think. I know I don't deserve it. And... Thank you for saving Abby. For going after her when she was taken by those mercenaries. She... She's changed my life."

Shepard smiled as she seemed to shrug off the thanks.

"Of one thing I'm certain Asura," she said as she headed out of the room. "She's saying exactly the same thing about you."

* * *

><p><strong>She was tired and in more pain than she cared to admit.<strong> Jane slowly made her way up to the Crew Deck after she softly instructed EDI to keep an eye on Asura and tell her the moment the asari did anything other than rest. The AI was also to lock the room the moment it looked as if Asura wanted to leave. It seemed harsh even after she had told her that she wasn't a prisoner but Jane wasn't a fool. She knew first hand that if someone had a quick change of heart in one direction there was nothing stopping them from having another in the opposite direction. She went to the infirmary first to see what the damage to her crew was.

The room was full and she didn't go in, choosing to look through the window as Dr. Chakwas bustled from one patient to the other, directing her two Cerberus Medics with an iron voice. Jane had to give her back her omni-tool but she seemed to be managing without it. Nobody appeared to be in a critical condition. Miranda, Jacob and Samara were all lying down, though Samara kept trying to get up until Dr. Chakwas spoke some serious words with her. Jane couldn't hear her but she saw the hand motions and it made her smile. The woman wasn't about to be intimidated by a 1000 year old asari. She didn't think that Chakwas could be intimidated by _anything._

Jack was still there, sitting in her bed in the corner, watching the bustle, looking somewhat disappointed that she couldn't be a part of it. She was the only one who noticed her as she turned her gaze out of the window. There was a clear flash of guilt in her face as she stared at Jane, making her wonder how much initiative Abby had taken when she left the Normandy and how much 'advice' Jack had given her. She pointed towards the biotic in a 'I see you, I know what you did' gesture which made the biotic look down immediately but it did make Jane smile. She was still very proud of Jack.

Grunt wasn't in the infirmary and neither was Kasumi or Tali. Jane realized that she still needed to hear what happened on their end but, as she had seen them both standing, she doubted that things went badly. She was a little surprised to see that Abby wasn't in the infirmary and turned to go in and query the vet's whereabouts when she saw Garrus coming towards her. She smiled at him, relieved to see that he was up and not visibly injured. He didn't exactly smile back at her, but she could see the relief in his eyes when he approached her and inclined his head briefly in a turian sign of respect.

"Commander," he said. "Glad to see that you've joined us."

She wasn't normally very physical with the rest of her crew but Garrus was special. Instead of just nodding back at him she reached out and gently squeezed his arm in greeting.

"Glad to be here," she said. "I take it you heard of my fall?"

Garrus shook his head in disbelief. "You have more hearts than a krogan Shepard," he said frankly. "The way I understand, you were _very _lucky." He didn't give her chance to comment. "I also heard that you brought the one asari back with you. The one Dr. Gable was sitting with."

Jane nodded, sensing his disapproval. "She's in the Starboard Cargo hold," she pointed out. "Locked in, don't frown at me like that. EDI's keeping an eye on her."

The turian snorted at the mention of the AI. "As if she's been doing such a good job with _that_ of late," he pointed out. "Have you found out how Dr. Gable left the Normandy?"

Jane sighed, not sure if she wanted to have this conversation with him right now. "Of sorts," she said. "She had help from Dr. Chakwas. And, it worked out alright Garrus. Barely, but it did. Do you know where she is?"

Garrus's mandibles shifted as he motioned towards Kasumi's room's direction. "Kelly took her there," he said. "I don't think she wanted to put her and Samara in the same room. The Justicar's in a strange mood Jane. I don't know how you're going to deal with this."

"Have some faith Garrus," Jane said tiredly. "Tell me, where's Kasumi and Tali? Are they alright? What happened on your side?"

The turian didn't answer immediately but gave her a once over, his reptilian eyes narrowing when he met her gaze again. "I think you should see the doctor Shepard," he said. "You seem... pale as you humans say."

She waved him off with a stern look. "Kasumi and Tali, Garrus." She insisted. "What happened?"

The turian grimaced and motioned towards the women's locker room. "Kasumi's taking a shower as far as I know," he said. "And Tali's down in Engineering repairing a suit rupture that she had. She said she's fine and insisted that she didn't need Chakwas to take care of her. You know Quarians, they're very adept at fixing things, especially themselves." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Our fight was pretty simple really. They were pinned down by a group of mercenaries. It took us longer to find them than it did to disperse the mercs. Tali got injured in the process but she said it wasn't severe. We made our way to you as soon as we finished off everybody basically standing in our way."

Jane nodded slowly and glanced back into the infirmary. Samara now seemed to be sleeping and she wondered whether Dr. Chakwas had sedated her. "Did you recognize their uniform Garrus?" She queried. "I mean, Miranda said that they weren't Cerberus. I certainly didn't recognize their insignia." She didn't like the fact that the turian shook his head. He had lived on Omega for almost two years during the time that she was dead and had specifically targeted the mercenary groups. If he didn't know about them then they were either very new or _very_ secretive.

"Are you going to go see Dr. Chakwas now?" Garrus asked, interrupting her thoughts.

A part of Jane wished that she could, but she had one last stop to make. "In a moment," she said. "I want to speak to Dr. Gable first."

* * *

><p><strong>When Kelly first brought her to the room, Abby had expected Kasumi to be there.<strong> But the room was empty and, after waiting for several minutes, it became clear that nobody was going to come to her. Looking around the empty room, Abby swallowed and allowed herself the luxury of sinking down to the ground beside her couch, feeling drained and emotional. She had a headache and now that the adrenaline had worked its way out of her system she was more tired than she had ever been. Her body ached in places she didn't remember hurting and she wondered whether it was from the fight that she had had with Lenelle when Jack was still there.

Thinking about the Ardat Yakshi, about what had happened and about what had been done to her, Abby found herself closing her eyes and breathing deeply to avoid crying. The urge didn't go away this time but build in her chest until she grabbed her pillow, stuffed her face into it and screamed. The scream faded to a sob and then she was crying. Crying from exhaustion, from exhilaration. Crying because she could be fixed, but crying because she knew that her body would revert back again as it had done after Asura melded with her. She cried for Asura, for her sister, for her mother and the friends she lost on the estate. She cried because she had thought that she had taken a life and lastly she cried for her own. She cried because for the first time, she allowed herself to feel everything. Her own uncertainty, her fear, her confusion about being stuck here. She cried because she was still alive and she cried because she didn't want to die. She didn't know how long she cried into the pillow but when she was done and her sobs finally subsided, she felt drained and sick. Sitting up, Abby pushed herself onto her couch and took a few deep breaths, only then realizing that she wasn't alone. When she turned her head, Jane was standing at the door, still dressed in the full armour that she had been wearing out in the field. How long she had been standing there, Abby couldn't say.

She stared at the Commander for a long time, feeling the pressure of the woman's green gaze. When she couldn't stand it anymore she pushed herself up slowly and went to the tiny water dispenser in the room where she washed her face and drank some water. She felt a little bit better afterwards and finally pulled together the courage to turn around again and look at Shepard.

"Jane," she said softly, her voice hoarse from crying. "I'm sorry."

The commander sighed and made her way to the couch, moving like an old woman. Her eyes were dark when she sat down and looked at Abby, their disappointment clear.

"I'm glad you realize that you owe me one," she said. "I don't know what to say to you Abigail. I really don't."

Abby swallowed and rubbed her hand over her face. "I don't know either," she confessed softly. "I'm really sorry about Jack, Jane. About everything."

Jane grimaced and shook her head, momentarily turning her gaze away though it didn't do anything to release the pressure in the room. "Sorry isn't always good enough Abby," she pointed out. "Sorry doesn't fix broken things. You broke the trust that I had in you. You went behind my back. It wasn't even an order Abby, I have broken plenty of orders in my life, it was a request. From a friend to another. I expected more from you."

Abby tried to defend herself but realized that there was nothing that she could say that justified her actions. She sighed and looked at her feet, wishing that she could sit down but not knowing where to do so because she didn't want to get any closer to the commander.

"I had to go," she said softly. "I had to do what I had to do."

Jane sighed, the sound strangely lessening the tension in the room a bit. "I know," she said tiredly. "And, believe it or not Abby, I actually understand now where you come from. I didn't before you were attacked but I do now. I understand what drew you to Asura, why you wanted to keep her safe." Her expression lost some of its focus as she seemed to consider something.

Abby looked at her and on impulse took a wild guess on what she was thinking of and what she meant. There was only one thing that had changed in Jane's life in the time that she had been in a coma.

"You melded with Samara."

Jane turned to her, a little surprised but then she smiled briefly for the first time. "Yes," she said. "I did." Her face turned grave again. "Which is why I understand how close you feel to Asura or how drawn to her you must've been without knowing it. But you still acted recklessly. You still endangered the lives of my crew. If you were one of my people I'd have had half a mind to ground you Abby. I might even have scrapped you from the list and make you get another team because I wouldn't want to trust you on this one." Her words hurt Abby and again she looked away, not knowing what to say.

"You..." She had to swallow though luckily, because of her earlier session, she had no more tears left to cry. "You can still get rid of me. I understand Commander. I'll leave tonight."

"Now don't be silly." Abby blinked surprised when she looked up to realize that Jane had stood up and was walking towards her. "I said half a mind. And you're not one of my team. I can't just throw you out Abby." She sighed and shook her head. "You misunderstand me. What I want you to realize Abby, is that you hurt me. And that I am very angry with you." She made sure to meet her gaze. "But I'm not going to just throw you out and make you fend for yourself. I'm not that kind of person." Jane sighed and put her hand on Abby's elbow. "And I'm just ultimately relieved that it seems as if Asura had been worth the risk."

Abby looked up surprised, studying Jane's face. "What do you mean?" she queried, feeling stupid. She was treated to a smile from Jane Shepard who shrugged and removed her hand from her arm again.

"She seemed to be worth taking a risk on Abby," Jane said again. "I don't think she compelled you to help her. What you felt for her made you do that all on your own. Because she was the kind of person who needed saving from her own life. And I admire that. I admire that you did that for a complete stranger." Her face became harder again. "But if you ever want to take risks like that again, you come to me Abby. Or at least have the decency to tell me when you don't trust me."

Abby acted immediately, surprising herself by taking Jane's hand. "I trust you Commander," she said truthfully. "I just didn't trust myself. I didn't know if I was making the right decision to go after her or not, to see her, so I thought if I'd go on my own, if I kept it from all of you, I can at least keep you safe." Her face darkened. "I know it didn't work for Jack. But, I didn't know that she would follow me. I didn't want her to get hurt. I didn't want any of you to get hurt."

Shepard studied her for a long time and then sighed finally, turning back to the couch. "If there is one thing I've learned Abby," she said tiredly. "Is that you can't keep everybody safe. You can't. It's not something that's in your hands, even though you might think it to be. And you are not equipped to make such a decision on your own. I hope that we will never come to this again, but if you ever need to make a judgement call like this, come to me. You have more to lose by going out on your own than trusting someone. Believe me, it's a lesson I learned the hard way."

Abby smiled at her briefly but could still not shake the uncomfortable feeling that she had in her chest from knowing how disappointed Jane was in her. When she continued standing where she was, Jane got up again and took a position against a wall closer to her.

"I have one question for you Abby," she said. "And so help me, you better tell me the truth."

The vet stiffened but met her gaze, realizing that she would have no other choice than to answer whatever Jane asked her. When Shepard realized that she had her attention she motioned to Abby.

"How did you get onto that roof?"

Abby closed her eyes, just imagining how the next few seconds of her life would play out. None of the scenarios she came up with was pleasant.

"You're not going to like this Commander."

* * *

><p><strong>When she woke up, the first thing that she knew, that she sensed with her whole being, was that Jane was near.<strong> Samara took a deep breath, steadying herself and finding her focus before she dared open her eyes. She was in the infirmary which was a first she had to say. She knew that she hadn't wanted to be here, that she constantly told Dr. Chakwas that she was fine but then the woman had given her something to drink, saying that she at least had to take _something_ for her headache. She wouldn't have touched it if she realized Dr. Chakwas's treatment involved sedating her.

And as much as she hated to admit it, she _did_ feel better.

Opening her eyes, Samara found Jane sitting in a chair beside her bed, her eyes closed as she slept soundly. She was in a hospital robe, her previously injured shoulder and arm once again strapped tightly to her chest. Samara would've wanted to see her in bed but it seemed that she wasn't the only stubborn patient that Dr. Chakwas had in her infirmary. She moved but then immediately realized her mistake when she noticed that Jane's hand was in hers. As she shifted, Jane's eyes opened and she smiled at her.

The smile took Samara's breath away, as it always did. The woman was beautiful in a way that the Justicar had never felt anybody else attractive. Her smile always felt as if it burned into her heart, as if it could make her laugh or cry at any second. She would not have dreamed that she could ever feel like this about anybody again, but she did and she knew that it would eventually tear her apart.

"Hey," Jane said and sat up a little, flinching as she did so. "How are you feeling?"

It was such a silly question, but it was one of those things that one had to know.

"I'm fine Jane," she said simply, still studying her lover's features. Memorizing them. "And you?"

The woman's smile burned brighter into her soul as she shrugged happily. "Well, I can honestly say I've had much worse."

"Jane," Dr. Chakwas's voice came from the opposite side of the infirmary. "You died. Needless to say, _every_ injury you will obtain for the rest of your second life would be a minor event."

The commander laughed as she smiled back at her old friend. "True," she said. "Which is why I also told you that sitting in a chair isn't going to kill me." She turned back to Samara and lowered her voice. "Do you want to get out of here? I'm sure my room is more comfortable. For resting of course. I'll order her to release us."

Samara wasn't sure whether she had the strength to take the offer. She felt... Strange. Numb.

"Perhaps Jane," she said and looked around her. "Who else is here?"

Jane glanced to the corner of the infirmary. "Jack," she said. "And Miranda. She took the worst hit of the three of you, or rather – I think she took the same hit you did but it affected her worse. She'll be fine with rest Dr. Chakwas said. Jacob's got a concussion but Mordin said he'll keep an eye on him. The rest are fine... ish." Again she smiled at Samara and again it felt as if the gesture would kill her. Jane was so beautiful when she smiled so freely.

"And Abigail?" Samara queried, meeting Jane's gaze. "And Asura?"

For the first time Jane shifted uncomfortably. "Abby's fine," she said. "Dr. Chakwas has seen to her. She wants to run some tests in the morning but she agreed that the best thing for her now would be rest. She's had a long day."

Samara snorted and started sitting up a bit. "Shorter than the rest of ours," she said. "And Asura?"

Jane sighed, probably realizing that she could not avoid the topic any longer. "She's here," she said. "I've put her in Zaeed's old room. It's locked but she's not my prisoner Samara, I want you to understand that."

Samara felt herself go cold and realized that this was the moment in which she would be torn in half. "You know what she is Jane," she pointed out. "You know what she's done."

Jane nodded but her gaze became more intense. "I know that she's been through a lot the past year," she said simply. "And I know that she's done some terrible things, but a lot of people in this world have. Half of crew are here because they are trying to redeem themselves."

Samara glared at her. "They are here because you recruited them Jane," she said. "She is not like the rest of your crew. She is dangerous. She will always be dangerous."

She could tell that Jane heard what she said but still, the woman shook her head. "She's different than your daughter Samara," she said her mouth twisting as if it hurt her to say it. "Things are different for her. She's got Abby."

Angry suddenly, Samara sat up completely, her head immediately turning with vertigo. "And you expect the vet to keep her on the straight and narrow?" she said. "After everything that _she's_ done behind your back? Jane, you can't do this. You can't save this one."

Jane looked sad when she sighed. "I'm going to try Samara," she said. "And I don't want you to interfere. I don't want you to go to her with the intention of putting her to justice. I don't want you to kill her."

Samara blinked at her, her mouth opening though she didn't know what to say.

"Jane," she said. "No."

There was silence in the infirmary as they looked at each other, their own believes tearing them away from each other.

"Yes Samara," she said painfully. "It's what I want. I want you to give her a second chance. I'm _asking_ you to give her a second chance. I am a Spectre and it is my judgement that this asari might still have it in her to redeem herself."

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE IS!" Nobody was more surprised than Samara by the shout that came from her. By the sudden loss of control that she experienced without warning. Staring at Jane's surprise she closed her eyes and leaned back, staring at the ceiling trying to imagine what part of her code covered this.

It's supposed to be so clear.

"She is not your daughter Samara," Jane said softly, sadly. "And that's good enough for me." She felt more than saw Jane close her eyes and take a deep breath. "By the code you swore to me Samara, I ask you to swear that you will not harm that asari. That you will trust me in dealing with her in the way that I see fit. This is what I feel I must do, this is what will be done."

She felt it, the faint twinge in her mind as the oath that she had sworn to Jane compelled her to nod her head and obey.

"Of course Jane," she said and closed her eyes, wishing that she could scream into the darkness. "If that is what you wish."

**The End of Chapter 47**


	48. Chapter 48

**Looking Ahead. **

**She didn't meet Aria in her lounge above After Life this time, but in a private dining area that felt more like an office. **It was completely white and silent, with no windows, no portraits and no furniture apart from the small table. It was a very sharp contrast to the rest of Omega which was probably why the asari ate pirate queen had her back turned towards her, her one hand resting on a data pad while the other picked grapes, or a similar kind of fruit, from a bowl. She presumed that even supreme ruling asari had to eat.

"I have to say," Aria said without turning towards her. "I didn't expect to see _you_."

Commander Jane Shepard stepped towards the other side of the table and sat down without asking for permission.

"Who were you expecting?" she queried, keeping her voice neutral, noticing the way Aria took care not to show any emotion as she sat back to look at her. The asari smiled her humourless smile as she motioned to a data pad in front of her.

"Every day brings new surprises," she said dutifully. "The moment you think that you are on top of everything a new problem rears its head. Like this..." To Jane's surprise she pushed the data pad towards her. "One of the salarian officials claiming damages around the one transportation hub. I can't pay for everything you know."

Jane didn't bother looking at the data pad but pushed it back towards Aria, fixing the asari with a calm look. "Why don't you bill Lenelle's employer with the damages?" she queried. "They were responsible for most of the damages."

Aria chuckled softly and sat back, weaving her long fingers together as she rested her hands on the table. "Some people are just unreachable when you need them," she said, pretending to be disappointed. "Like you for instance, the Normandy was _very_ quiet yesterday."

Jane smiled but didn't let it touch her eyes. "Well, we had to take some down time," she said. "Give my people time to recover. I don't need to tell you that we took quite a beating out there. And we were worried that there might e retaliation."

Aria made a considering sound, her eyes studying Jane intensively. "Quite," she said. "But all are well I take it, I haven't seen you hoist a black flag or anything. I haven't picked up any communications that mercenaries or otherwise were planning on attacking you. And it seems you have a new crew member."

Jane refused to be baited by her tone but shook her head lightly and made a dismissive gesture. "She's not staying," she pointed out. "The moment the asari finds her feet she's leaving."

Aria was very quick to point out her mistake. "The Ardat Yakshi you mean," she said. "I'm surprised your Justicar is alright with that arrangement."

"Samara and I have an agreement," she said carefully. "And she's not my Justicar Aria, you of all people should know that they serve only the code."

Shrugging, Aria motioned to one of her guards to come closer. "They can serve a being as well," she said. "I know she gave you the Oath of Subsumation. Do you know how rare that is?"

Jane shook her head before she fixed Aria with a stern look. "I didn't come here to discuss the asari on my crew," she said. "And, for the record Aria – my crew and their movements are none of your business. Even those who leave my service. You'll do well to spread that around."

Aria chuckled and took some of her fruit again. "I'm not one for rumours Commander," she said. "But, I would like to point out one tiny detail. At least _one_ of your crew members _is_ my business. And, I suspect that's why you're here."

Jane didn't let her gaze waver from Aria's as she leaned forward. "I want to know what you're business is with Dr. Gable," she said. "She told me of your arrangement."

Chuckling, Aria raised an eyebrow and tapped her finger against her lip. "Did she now," she said. "What did she tell you?"

She couldn't keep her mouth from thinning. Jane was still tired, her shoulder and arm tightly bound to make it more comfortable. She wasn't the only one who had to take a day to recover. Miranda still suffered from headaches after Lenelle's attack and Tali was down with an infection which she insisted was under control. Dr. Chakwas had released Samara from the infirmary the previous day but the Justicar had disappeared into her room and refused to open for anybody.

Jane had tried to see her several times.

She didn't like the aftermath of this attack as she couldn't help but feel that it had taken a lot of control away from her. Being here, with Aria, was her attempt to take some of it back.

"Commander," Aria cooed. "If _she_ didn't tell you then it's not my place to say. I don't owe you anything."

Jane sniffed and sat up straighter. "She told me that she got you to drop her off where we were. All she needed to do was tell you why the Ardat Yakshi was interested in her. I know that you know and I want to know what you're going to do with that information."

Aria raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Information is very valuable Commander," she pointed out. "You're friend Dr. T'soni can tell you all about that I'm sure. The most valuable information is that which you do not share with others. Tell me, do you know where Dr. Gable comes from?"

Jane frowned and shook her head to which Aria smiled immediately. "Neither do I," she said happily. "You see, I don't think you, as a human, realises what a significant find she is."

Again, Jane frowned as she leaned forward. "And what are you going to do about her?" she queried. "What do you want to do with her?"

Aria raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Me? Nothing," she pointed out. "And, now that that young Ardat Yakshi knows about her I doubt she's going to let her out of her sight. Let alone let anybody else harm her. And, because of that you can take a deep breath Commander. I won't hurt her. I was just interested in her. I got what I wanted, and she got what she wanted."

Jane's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the asari's features. "And that's the end of it?" she queried, immediately irritated when Aria laughed.

"You know that nothing ever ends Commander," she pointed out. "This day, this moment is only the beginning. If you are to be believed, we will be living in interesting times. Times that will complicate matters a lot more than one veterinarian will. She's hardly worth my energy or continued attention. I trust you can see yourself out?"

That dismissal.

Jane despised it but stood up, knowing that if Aria T'Loak wanted you to leave then you better get round to it while you still could. She started past the asari but, before she passed her she reached out with her good hand and gripped her shoulder.

"I still don't believe that that's all there was to your deal," she hissed. "Hear me and hear me well Aria, if you harm her, or use her, I will come for you. I don't care who you are or what she can do. She's one of mine now."

The asari looked at her hand and then up at her features. "You can't protect all that you love Shepard," she said frankly. "Remember that."

* * *

><p>"<strong>I can get down these fucking stairs myself." <strong>

It took all the self control that Abby had not to smile as she raised an eyebrow at Jack. "Humour me," she said. "I can promise you, within a week I'll be expecting the same courtesy. I'll feel more at ease accepting your help if you accept my help now."

Jack snorted in reply but grudgingly slipped her arm into Abby's. "Who says I'll be offering?"

Abby didn't say anything but smiled as she slowly helped Jack descend the stairs. The biotic had just been released by Dr. Chakwas and had been eager to get back to her 'room' on the Normandy. Abby suspected that she had had enough of all the people on the higher deck and wanted some peace and quiet for herself. Abby, who had been in the infirmary keeping her company had volunteered to take her to her room. She had just finished _another_ set of tests devised by Dr. Chakwas and Miranda though the latter wasn't there, still practically bed bound by her headache. Not that it stopped her from scrutinizing Abby's condition; whenever she managed to drag herself up she would come to the infirmary and write down more parameters for Dr. Chakwas to test. Abby couldn't help but wonder whether she had become Miranda's distraction from her headache.

Neither the ex-Cerberus officer nor Dr. Chakwas could come up with a perfectly sound theory as to how an Ardat Yakshi's melding could heal her. They theorized that it had to do with the 'build up' of biotic energy at the lesions on her nerves. The biotic power then served as a temporary bridge for her neural impulses along her damaged nervous system. That slowly caused the energy to dissipate and for her to revert back to her former state. It was why, Abby thought, she had been much more co-ordinated in the beginning of her stay on the Normandy than towards the end. They couldn't establish a clear time line as to how long it would take for her to degenerate again. Abby guessed ten days but Dr. Chakwas believed that it might take longer.

"Remember," she had said. "You were hurt and using a _lot_ of energy to recover from your injury. That had to play a role as well."

Abby wasn't so sure, but she couldn't allow herself the luxury of hoping for too much. She silently decided to be happy with what she had been given, to enjoy every moment in which she could move freely without fearing that she might fall.

"Are you going to stand there all fucking day?"

Abby blinked out of her reverie and smiled at Jack, realizing that they were at the bottom of the stairs. _When last could I go down a set of steps without concentrating on where I was going?_ "Sorry, I was just err... thinking." She looked around the room, happy to see that someone, probably Kelly, had made Jack's bed and put down some snacks and reading for her on the table. "Do you have everything that you need?"

Jack snorted and limped over to the bed, sinking down with a grateful sigh. "Don't need anything," she muttered. "I'm fine." Knowing when not to push her luck, Abby smiled at the convict and turned to leave. She was about to start on the stairs again when Jack called her back.

"Doc?"

She turned to smile at the convict. "What?" she said, noticing the mischievous glint in Jack's gaze. To her surprise, the younger woman was smiling at her.

"You've got quads," the biotic pointed out, making a rude gesture with her hands. "Fucking big ones."

Abby laughed and shrugged. "I'm not even sure if that's a good thing," she said. "But thanks Jack, I'll put that on my resume." She pretended to dictate a letter. "Dear so and so, I don't have any proof of residence, qualifications or even a roof over my head. But, I do have quads. And that goes a long way."

She winked at the biotic who grinned. "Fucking believe it," she said, her expression becoming a little bit more sombre. "I have to say, I really underestimated you." Abby smiled embarrassed but didn't say anything. "And," Jack continued. "You seem different somehow and it hasn't got anything to do with the fact that you're not fucking twitching constantly."

Abby chuckled softly and shrugged, giving Jack a considering look. "I think it plays some part in it," she said softly. "I don't have to concentrate the whole time Jack. I don't have to think about every movement that I make. I can actually think of other things other than falling on my face." She smiled at the biotic who, to her surprise, winked at her.

"Other _pleasant_ things?" She queried. "Are you going to Asura?"

Abby had the grace to blush but made sure to keep her expression very neutral. "I want to see how she's doing," she pointed out. "She had a long meeting with Shepard last night. I haven't seen her since. I... just want to know if she's alright." Her face became more sombre as she thought of Samara. The Justicar had been avoiding her and Shepard's interaction with her had been very short and to the point. She didn't want to worry about it too much, but she suspected that she had overstayed her welcome on the Normandy. Kasumi had told her that she was being silly, that Shepard wouldn't just kick her off, but she couldn't help but feel that if she and Asura had been the reason that the Justicar and she were fighting then Shepard might lose some of her perspective. Especially after she told her that she had gone to Aria for help. She hadn't told her everything - that she still had to go _back_ to Aria to tell her of where she came from.

"Don't go there," Jack said from her bed. "Whatever you thought about, let it go. Things will work out, they always do with Shepard."

Schooling her features to practiced calm, Abby smiled at Jack and nodded. "Will you be alright?" she queried. "I'll come round later..."

Jack waved her off. "I'm fucking fine," she said and closed her eyes. "Now go to your girlfriend. I'm sure Kelly will come fussing around me the moment she has her next break." She looked as if she was looking forward to the visit.

Smiling Abby nodded and, knowing that there wasn't really anything else that she could say to the ex-convict, started up the stairs again and went back into the main hallway. There, she hesitated, her gaze looking at the bright letters of the Starboard Cargo room. It was the first time that she was down here since Asura came and she was relieved to see that the lock had a gentle green shimmer on it instead of the locked red. It wouldn't have sat well with her if she knew that Asura was being held captive.

She went to the door, feeling like a schoolgirl with a crush. She couldn't help it but the moment she thought of Asura her stomach started turning with butterflies and her mouth went dry. She had no idea what she was going to say to the asari but she knew that she _had_ to see her.

Swallowing, Abby knocked on the door, then remembered that all of the doors were so thick that a knock could probably not be heard on the other side. She pressed the doorbell, surprised that her hands _weren't_ shaking from nerves and waited, trying hard to breathe deeply so that she could still the butterflies. There was a long pause before the door opened and she had almost thought that Asura wasn't going to let her in. But then the door slid open and she found herself looking at the subdued features of the Ardat Yakshi who had started all of this for her. The moment Asura realized it was her, her face brightened and she stepped forward as if to embrace her but then she paused and took a step back, her features uncertain.

"Abby," she said. "Hi."

Abby swallowed and tried to work some moisture back into her mouth. _Stop it, stop it, stop it!_ She told herself as her stomach flipped with nerves.

"Hallo Asura," she said carefully. "Ahm. You look... are you well?" _Foolish woman, how old are you?_

The asari gave her a small, tired smile as she stepped aside and motioned to Abby to come into the room. "I'm rested," she said. "And your doctor gave me an all clear on the medical front." She hesitated, her brow furrowing concerned as she looked at Abby. "You? I haven't... I mean... I thought you might've been in the infirmary. You weren't here yesterday." Abby couldn't decide what emotion lay behind the sentence.

"Yes," she said and swallowed, trying to ignore the way her stomach flipped again when the door closed. "I ah... I'll confess I spend half of the day asleep. And the other half being subjected to every medical test in the history of mankind." She tried to smile but Asura's features were immediately concerned.

"They experimented on you?" she demanded to which Abby immediately raised her hands.

"No no no," she said quickly. "It wasn't like that. I let them, I want to understand this as much as they do. The Normandy's been monitoring my health every since I've been here. And," she sighed, feeling a little bit more sombre. "Lenelle hit me pretty hard. I still had some injuries that needed taking care of. Ones I ignored or rather didn't realize I had when I stormed off to try and find you."

Asura's features darkened as well as she dropped her head and turned away from Abby. She went to the bed that was still unmade and pulled it straight, motioning to Abby to sit down.

"Are you alright now?" she queried.

Abby nodded and, instead of sitting down, went to the asari and gently touched her arm. "I'm fine," she said. "Better than fine actually." She smiled. "But I've told you about that."

Asura turned to her but didn't say anything. Instead, she raised her hand and carefully traced an invisible line down Abby's cheek. Seeing the pained look in her eyes, Abby smiled gently, carefully pulled her closer and gave her a hug.

"It's okay," she whispered. "This wasn't your fault Asura. None of it was."

The way Asura tightened her grip around her was painful as she breathed deeply against Abby, trying to control her emotions. The vet held her as tight as she could, unable to ignore how safe Asura's touch made her feel. She leaned into it and rested her head on Asura's shoulder, breathing deeply as she made a soothing sound. She didn't say anything because there was nothing that she couldn't say with her touch.

When Asura pulled away, she turned her head briefly and reached up to wipe her face. She made an effort to smile as she turned back to Abby and motioned to the bed. "Do you want to sit down?" she queried. "I'd like to offer you something but there's only water here. Maybe we can ask the AI..."

Abby chuckled softly and shook her head as she took a seat on the bed. "It's alright," she said. "I'm fine. Are you alright? Have they fed you? Allowed you to take a shower? Allowed you to get some rest?"

Asura nodded immediately and made to sit beside Abby but hesitated, seemingly unsure of what she should be doing. "I've been treated kindly," she said. "A young human with a very bright personality has been here repeatedly to make sure I'm comfortable. And I've managed to get cleaned up." She couldn't seem to come to a decision and looked at Abby who, reached up and took her hand, pulling her down. She expected Asura to sit down on the bed but instead the asari chose to kneel before her. The action immediately made Abby blush but she decided to ignore it.

"That's probably Kelly," she said. "She's like the Normandy welcome wagon. She's... good. She's a good person."

Asura's facial colour darkened as well and Abby wondered suddenly if asari blushed like humans did. "She's good at getting you to talk," she confessed. "I hope she's not the kind of person who'd spread things. She caught me a bit off guard."

Abby chuckled and shook her head. "She's good," she repeated. "Kelly's... like a soundboard. She'll listen to people. It's going to sound silly but that's sort of her job. Sometimes you just need someone to voice your thoughts to. And deliver some insets of course."

Asura nodded, looking up into Abby's gaze. They were still holding hands and Asura had put her free hand on Abby's leg. Her touch felt unnaturally warm through the fabric of Abby's pants. Abby could almost swear she felt Asura's breathing stir against her hand and it made her shiver, the warmth of her touch spreading.

"Sorry," Asura muttered immediately when she realized the effect she had on Abby and tried to get up. "I didn't mean..."

Abby pulled her back and took care not to breathe too deeply. "It's okay," she said. "Please, it's alright. Just... here..." She reached out and took a hold of Asura's other hand, resting them on her lap. "You can't help it, it's what you are." Not knowing how else to communicate to the Ardat Yakshi that she was alright, Abby leaned forward and carefully kissed her on top of her head. The gesture seemed to be the right thing to do as Asura let out a short breath and relaxed a little. Abby closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against Asura's, clutching her hands tightly.

"What did Shepard say to you? I know that she was here last night."

Asura shifted away from her and sighed. After some consideration she stood up and went to the opposite side of the room. Abby almost followed her but realized that the asari might want some distance between them.

"I told her of everything that I've done the last year," she said. "Everybody that I've killed. Names. Places. Their contacts. Everything that I knew about Lenelle, everything that I didn't." She sighed. "It was a long discussion but she was kind." Her indigo eyes found Abby's and held them.

Swallowing, the vet shifted in her position, realizing that she had unconsciously put her hands between her legs to hide them. Remembering that it wasn't necessary she took them out again and stood up. "I'm glad she did that Asura," she said softly. "You shouldn't have to feel as if you're alone in this. Shepard's good for her word, she'll look into it. I trust her completely."

Asura smiled at her, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I've heard of her reputation," she said. "It's somewhat comforting, and daunting, to find that not all of the rumours around her are an old man's fabrication. She's got a difficult road ahead of her."

Abby didn't want to think of it. She was conveniently ignoring the threat of the Reapers on the galaxy. Till now, it had been easier focusing on Asura.

"What about you?" she queried softly and stepped closer to Asura.

The asari raised an eyebrow and studied her. "What do you mean?" she queried softly, her voice once again dropping to a tone where it was almost seductive. Abby had to swallow and take a quick breath before she continued.

"Where will you go from here Asura?" she queried softly. "Are you going to stay on the Normandy?" She could hope...

The alien shook her head and turned her face away. "No," she said. "No Abby – if all goes well then I'll be leaving here before tonight."

Shocked, Abby took a step back.

"No," she said immediately. "No, Asura you... You... It might still be dangerous out there. You can't just go. You... can't."

To her surprise, Asura didn't look very concerned at her distress. Instead the asari walked up to her and took her hands again. "And, I want you to come with me Abby," she continued as if she had never been interrupted. "I know you don't have anything that keeps you here."

It felt as if her heart had stopped.

Abby stared at Asura in surprise, her hands limp in Asura's, her heart beat very loud in her ears. "I..." She paused, thinking that she wanted to sit down, that her world was spinning and the only thing keeping her standing was Asura's gaze and grip. "I... Yes. Of course." _What was she saying?_

Asura breathed a sigh of relief and without warning pulled her closer and embraced her. Abby wordlessly wrapped her arms round the asari, her heart pounding in her ears as she tried to imagine going away from the Normandy, away from everything she still understood about this galaxy. If she went with Asura... Who knew what would happen? Who knew where she'd end up? But she would have...

Asura pulled away from her, pushed a strand of hair from her face and gently leaned forward to kiss her lightly on the lips. It was so quick that Abby didn't have time to respond in kind.

"I am... very relieved to hear that," she said softly as Abby tried to control the sensation of falling that she experienced. She found herself wishing that Asura would kiss her again and reached up to caress the asari's face.

"When are we leaving?" she queried softly, wondering if she could just go or if she could take some of the clothes that Kasumi had bought for her along.

Asura took her hand in hers and kissed her fingers. "I'm leaving in the next hour or two," she said. "But, you're only leaving in a week's time."

Abby blinked, her surprise grounding her as she pulled away from the Ardat Yakshi. "How do you figure?" she queried, seeing the look of regret on Asura's features as she gathered herself.

"It was Shepard's terms," she said. "I told her that I wanted you to come with me. She... didn't object, but she said that she wanted you to think about it for a week. She knew you'd say yes, but she wanted you to say yes when you weren't with me as well. I think that you will but..." Her gaze met Abby's. "It's no secret that sometimes, people want to obey my kind. That... that when you agree to something I ask it's not from your own free will but from the compulsion that I have. Commander Shepard believes that if you take some time to consider your answer, then you'll be more capable of making a good, well considered decision. I don't want to force you into anything Abby. I... you are too dear to me."

Abby didn't reply immediately but stepped away from Asura. She couldn't stop the wave of anger that burned inside her at the thought of people discussing her future behind her back. Her partner had done it in the hospital when the doctor discussed the chance with him that she might have Huntington's disease. Her family had done it when they decided amongst themselves that it was time for her to give up her position at the practice. She _hated_ it when people made decisions for her, pretending that she wasn't there or coherent enough to make it for herself.

But then, as she took a steadying breath and forced her hands to relax from where she had clenched them into fists, she realized that nobody had made any decisions _for_ her. They wanted to put her in a position where she'd be better capable of making them for herself. Turning back to a concerned Asura, Abby nodded slowly.

"Okay," she said softly. "Okay, that's what we'll do." She paused, wondering if she should continue. "But," _what the hell,_ "I don't think I'll change my mind Asura. You are... very dear to me to. And... And I can see a future for myself with you. Here, in this place." Her face was pained. "I feel as if I might be using you but..."

Asura laughed, that beautiful sound that Abby remembered from the restaurant. It changed her whole face, made her features lighter, friendlier. "And here I'm frightened that I might be using you," she said and returned to Abby's side.

"Abby we... How can I put this? You might well be the key that I need to keep me sane. With you, I don't think about avenging my family. I know that you'll keep me from doing things that..." She grimaced and changed her track. "You are my conscience. My anchor. I have not been able to stop thinking about what you said in the restaurant, I think that's why Lenelle tried to kill you because she realized that you had the power to take me from her grasp."

Abby smiled slightly and bit her lip as she gave the asari a sideways glance. "And then of course there's that... other thing," she pointed out, unable to keep herself from blushing. To her delight, Asura's cheeks darkened as well as she nodded.

"Yes," she said. "That other thing. Abby, there will be no pressure on you. I'm asking you to accompany me as a friend. Not... well."

Abby grinned and on impulse leaned forward and gave Asura a light, quick kiss on the cheek. When she asari smiled at her she shrugged and smiled. "Let's see what happens in a week," she said with a smile. "We have time Asura. I know it's going to be difficult, and you... You have a lot of things to come to terms with." She felt a wave of sadness pulse from the asari. "But, I'll be there for you. As a friend. As a companion. I know what you went through, more so than anybody else. We'll see what happens. I have as much to gain from this as you."

Asura seemed more at ease as she smiled and nodded.

"Then let's see what happens," she said softly.

**The End of Chapter 48**


	49. Chapter 49

**Almost Unreal**

**The room felt strangely empty.**

Abby stood beside the bed, looking first at the empty book case and then at the empty wall where Kasumi's portrait had hung. She sighed softly and caressed the bed covers, thinking that she was still going to sleep on the couch regardless of the bed's availability. It hardly felt right to take it over.

"She's not gone yet you know."

She turned around and found that Shepard had entered the room behind her, her features soft as she stared at Abby. She was wearing a tight pair of black pants, probably leather, and an emerald green halter top. To hide the scars on her shoulder Jane wore a light black jacket which didn't reach past her hips. Abby smiled hesitantly and motioned to her.

"Commander," she said. "You look nice."

"Jane," Shepard corrected her. "As do you, where did Kasumi get that?"

Abby chuckled embarrassed and looked down at her dress. The thief had brought her a deep purples skirt that went down to her ankles and flared whenever she walked. Along with that, she had given her a black shirt that had very wide cuffs and a leather vest with embroidery on.

"I look like a fortune teller," she said. "Madam Zizi or something of the sort. All I need is a hat."

Jane laughed and shrugged. "I'm sure we can sort something out," she said. "It suits you." She trailed off and continued to look at Abby. The vet hesitated, not sure what she should say. She and Shepard had not really spoken since they returned from Omega and she had told her that she had gone to Aria for help. Jane had been furious and had told her that there were many other ways that she could've used to get where she wanted to be.

"_Joker would've leapt in and took you in a heartbeat!" _she had said. "_You didn't have to go to Aria for help! The price will be bigger than you can conceive!" _

"_And if I had to go against you and Samara?"_ Abby had replied calmly, knowing that her option had been the only one she'd have been happy to follow_. "Or Lenelle's back up arrived and shot your shuttle out of the air? So many people had gotten hurt because of this, because of me."_

Jane had shaken her head vigorously_. "I can't protect you from Aria!" _she had snapped._ "She is more powerful than I am Abby! I had thought that you would have more sense!" _

Her reply had driven the Commander to silence and she had left the room shortly afterwards. _"I don't need you to protect me Jane," _she had said sadly._ "It's time I fight my own battles, make my own decisions. I got myself into this mess and besides, you have bigger things to worry about than one lost vet." _

"Look at me Abby," Jane said, interrupting her thoughts. "Please."

Abby blinked out of her thoughts, realizing that she had been staring at the bed again. She turned her attention to Jane to see that the commander had walked closer to her. Her face was a strange mixture of stern concern as she motioned to the room.

"This is not a prison sentence; I hope you can understand that."

She had lost her completely. Abby blinked and frowned, running her hand through her hair thinking that she would either have to get it cut again or figure out some way to keep it out of her neck and face. "I'm sorry Jane," she said carefully. "But I'm not following."

"Staying here," Jane continued. "When Asura's gone. I'm not doing it to punish you. The Normandy's not your prison."

Abby blinked at her and then laughed out of surprise. "Of course not Commander," she said quickly. "I know that, don't worry!" She grinned embarrassed and shook her head. "Please don't think that. I... I don't see the Normandy as a prison." She sighed and looked around the room. "It's... become home in a way." She thought of the time that she had played the game to escape her life. She had started playing it after she and her partner had broken up and she had realized how daunting her life had become. She had fled to a friend of hers and discovered it on her son's console. Who'd have thought that her life could change so much?

Jane smiled relieved and carefully sat down on the bed, massaging her shoulder. "Then you can stay here Abby," she said. "You don't have to go with Asura." Abby noticed that she still looked tired but it had to do with more than just her injury.

She smiled slightly and shook her head, sitting down on the bed so that she could wipe her palms on her knees. "I know that," she said softly. "And I know you'll keep me but that's hardly fair Jane. I'm of no use to you. I can't shoot, I can't kill anything. I'm not a medic, I'm not an alien doctor. I'm not versed in astrophysics or even omni-tool programming." She smiled at Jane. "I'll be a liability when shit hits the fan. There's no other way of putting it. Even Kasumi's leaving because she feels she's of no use here now. Doesn't mean that she's going to be away forever." She smiled at Jane, hoping to convey the message that she would still like to see them when she finally left with Asura.

The Commander sighed and smiled at her, reaching out to pat her leg. "You are very stubborn," she pointed out. "Abby, I don't want you to feel that you _have_ to leave the Normandy. I don't want anybody to feel that. I feel as if I am loosing everybody." The last was said in a softer tone, more personal. Abby carefully turned to Shepard to notice the subtle differences in her body language, telling her that she was sitting in front of her, not as the Commander of the ship but as the woman with whom she had shared a drink. Her heart warmed as she realized that Jane might be angry at her, but she had not yet written off her friendship completely.

"They'll come back Jane," she said softly. "You're not loosing people. They're doing what they think is best for you, to put as little strain on you as possible. When things get rough, they'll join your side and your fight."

Jane turned to her, her eyes darker than usual. "You know about the Reapers?"

A cold hand clenched her heart as she nodded. "I've heard the people talk," she said. "I know you've gone through the Omega-4-Relay." _I know Mass Effect 2 had a sequel coming out..._ "I know it's not over." She chuckled softly, hoping to lighten the mood. "That's why I feel it's almost safer for me to try my chances with a vengeful Ardat Yakshi than to stay here." She smiled at Jane even though her heart ached a little. Asura had left two hours ago, saying that she was going to go back to her apartment to get a few things and then leave Omega completely. She had promised that she'd come back before she did to say good bye to her but even so, it was hard letting her go.

Jane laughed at her previous statement, but Abby could tell that it was forced. The Commander stood up and held out her good hand to Abby. "I know you don't need it," she said when Abby looked at her. "But for old time's sake. We have to get going, we can't keep Kasumi waiting."

Abby took the woman's hand with a smile, careful not to put too much weight on it. When she slipped her arm into the Commander's she couldn't help but give her a sideways glance.

"We're good aren't we Commander?" she queried. "I mean... You'd still have a drink with me if you had the opportunity."

Jane laughed warmly and squeezed her arm. "Of course Abby," she said. "No friendship is without it's pitfalls. But, No friendship is worth abandoning over a misunderstanding either."

* * *

><p><strong>Kasumi had decided to throw a going away party for herself which she and Kelly organised in a heartbeat.<strong> It had come at a bit of a surprise to everybody when she announced it the previous evening, saying that it was to be her second last night on the Normandy. Abby had known that she was waiting for the situation with Asura to resolve itself but even she had been a bit shocked at how soon the thief planned to leave. She didn't quite know how to say it but she was going to miss the woman who had become as much a security to her as Jane had.

The party was held in the mess hall, where the tables had been shifted to open the floor up for dancing. Gardner had gone out of his way to prepare snacks, treats and meals to accommodate everybody on board. There was music and lights and even a punchbowl that read 'humanoid digestive systems only'. Kasumi had gone all out and the effort seemed to have paid off because everybody was having a great time. At first, Abby had stood apart from the rest, watching how the group revolved around the floor. She loved how everybody had gone through the trouble to dress up and to be on their best behaviour. Garrus had asked the Commander to dance with an elegant bow and Miranda, though she remained sitting down for most of it, wore a shimmering silver dress that showed as much flesh as Abby had ever seen. Tali was also there, dancing and laughing with the engineers. She had wrapped elegantly decorated sashes around her suit in what Dr. Chakwas had told Abby was traditional quarian festive garb. It flowed as she danced, reminding the vet liquid freedom. Her dance was so alive that it made Abby sad, realizing what a restricted life her species lived. When the quarian passed her she motioned to Abby to come with her and, although a part of her shied at the thought – terrified that she might fall, Abby found herself reaching out and taking the quarian's hand, allowing her to guide her into the fast stepped dance that she practiced. She didn't pick the dance up immediately, but soon followed Tali's lead with a variation of her own. It was exhilarating and she soon found herself partnered with Ken from engineering who was wearing a kilt of all things.

"My grandfather would've given me a hiding dancing with the likes of you," he said with a good natured laugh. "But given the crowd, I think stealing a dance from a welsh gypsy is the least of my problems."

Abby laughed, her gaze sweeping across the dance floor where she spotted Shepard and Garrus moving away from the bustle so that Jane could sit down a little. It was when Garrus moved away from her that she saw Samara for the first time. The Justicar was dressed in the same garb that she had worn on that night to the theatre but the difference this time was that she wasn't wearing her ruins. She could've passed for any normal asari as she rested her hand on Jane's shoulder. Shepard turned around surprised then looked up when she saw who it was. Her eyes were wide in wonder and, to Abby's delight, Samara smiled at her as she held out her hand, clearly inviting Jane to join her.

Realizing that she still had a partner waiting, Abby turned back to Ken who grinned at her.

"You're right," she said. "You can do much worse. Though, I should warn you – I think the music's about to change if Joker has any eyes in his head..."

* * *

><p><strong>They didn't speak but moved in each other's arms as the music slowly changed rhythm, moving from a fast paced jig to softer, slower variation.<strong> Jane stared at Samara, thinking that she had never seen the asari without her ruins. She didn't think that it would be possible but it made the Justicar even more beautiful as it allowed a gentleness to enter her gaze that she had not seen before.

She lost time of how long they danced, her only awareness that of Samara's arms around her body, of her perfume and the familiar and wonderful contours of her body. She found her hands travelling down her back until Samara reached out and gently put a hand on her wrist, stopping her from venturing further. The asari smiled at her as she pulled her hands back up to her hips and slowly bend to give her a light kiss.

It was surreal.

"Should we go?" The Justicar whispered, to which Jane nodded immediately, not even bothering to look back as Samara led her from the dance floor. She didn't care what the crew thought or who had seen it. All she cared about was that Samara was with her again after avoiding her ever since their disagreement in the infirmary. It gave her hope that all would be well again. They went to the elevator, their arms still linked and it was only when the door closed behind them that they pulled away from each other.

Jane opened her mouth to speak but Samara put her hand over her lips and shook her head, a measure of sadness in her eyes. "Let's not speak of it, not now." She said and leaned forward to kiss her. "Let's just enjoy this." It started off soft and hesitant but soon intensified as Jane allowed her hand to venture back to Samara's back. They kissed for several minutes before Jane realized that neither of them had asked the elevator to go up. Her hands were occupied so she just broke away from Samara long enough to say in a hoarse voice.

"EDI, my room. Please."

* * *

><p>"<strong>Of course you're going to get married and have fifty children," Abby said. <strong>"It says so here in the lines..."

Dr. Chakwas's had the grace to raise an eyebrow, her mouth twisted in a small smile. "Fifty you say?" she said and pulled her hand away from Abby's. "Really Madam Zaza, are you sure it isn't just old age creeping up on my hands? Everything tends to go you know."

Abby laughed and sat back, unable to keep herself from yawning. "Yes well," she said. "I said that I can read palms, I never said that I was any good at it." She turned her attention back to the room to where the crew was still happily dancing. The music was slower now, more intimate and it was easy to pick the couples out. She smiled and turned her attention back to Dr. Chakwas, though a part of her ached when she thought of Asura again.

_I wish she was here..._

"But, I can tell you've had a fulfilling life Dr. Chakwas."

The doctor chuckled but her gaze was sad as she sipped something from a glass. "I have had an interesting life," she said. "But so have most of the people on board this ship. We have all learned to be content with where we are." She turned back to Abby and smiled. "By Jane's side."

When the vet only smiled at her she stood up and patted Abby's shoulder. She disappeared into the crowd but Abby wasn't alone for long. Another figure appeared out of nowhere and sat down right in front of her. Kasumi grinned as she came into focus.

"Care to read one more?" She said and took her glove off of her hand. "You didn't tell me you have these magical hidden talents. I'd have put up a stall and taken the dress more seriously."

Abby chuckled and took Kasumi's hand, not bothering to look at the lines. "It's a party trick no more," she said and traced her thumb across the thief's palm. "Good for a laugh but not really anything else." She looked up and smiled at Kasumi. "I've been thinking about why you decided to hold the party tonight."

Kasumi smirked and sat closer, not removing her hand from Abby's as she wiggled her fingers. "Oh?" she said. "What is it that you sense with your mystical powers?"

Abby refrained from sticking her tongue out at the woman and folded her hand into a fist. "We needed it," she said. "The crew, Shepard, everybody – they needed a party. They needed a reason to dress up and pretend that everything was alright. That we are not who we are." She motioned to Kelly who was slow dancing with Garrus, though they looked more like a father and daughter team than a couple. "To forget about everything that's outside this ship and everything that they've gone through. People needed an excuse to forget who they were and you gave them an opportunity to pretend to be something that they are not."

The small smile under Kasumi's hood told Abby that she was right though the thief wasn't about to admit it.

"Oh?" she said, sounding surprised. "Like who?"

Abby smiled slightly and motioned to herself. "The mystic gypsy," she said and motioned to Joker. "The DJ, the couple," she pointed at Miranda and Jacob who were sitting together. "And everybody else here. We pretended that we're different people. I even think that you managed to give Shepard and Samara a moment's peace. One brief second in which they could forget who they are and just enjoy each other's company." Her gaze turned to the elevator. "I'm not sure what they're going to do with it or whether..." She trailed off and sighed, looking back to Kasumi who was smiling at her.

"Let's hope they don't waste it," she said and pulled her hand from Abby's only to take one of hers. "Here, let me have a try."

Abby smirked as Kasumi hummed dramatically, tracing her fingers over the lines. "I see..." Kasumi said dramatically. "I see a tall, dark stranger... Yes, definitively... A tall dark stranger, waiting for you by the airlock."

Abby blinked at her. "What?" she queried, even more surprised when Kasumi laughed and pulled her up.

"Asura," the thief clarified. "She's at the airlock, waiting for you. She didn't want to come in."

She wanted to stop it, but Abby couldn't contain the grin that erupted on her face. Kasumi returned it in kind, turning her around and pushing her in the direction of the elevator. "Go," she said. "And don't do anything that I'd do, I would hate to come and bail you out of jail later..."

* * *

><p><strong>Asura wasn't outside the airlock but had wandered up into the hall so that she could have a look at the Normandy through one of the windows.<strong> Abby had to take several steadying breaths to keep herself from grinning like an idiot and calmly walked to the asari. She could sense her as she approached, like a warm pulse of light that only she was privileged to. She realized that she had to read a little bit more about asari melding but it hardly seemed important to know the details as Asura turned to her.

The asari smiled shyly when she approached, her eyes giving Abby a once over before she looked at her face.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said. "I know that you have a party tonight."

Abby shrugged and carefully joined Asura so that she could look at the Normandy. "The hostess gave me leave to go," she said. "Besides it's... past its peak. Most of the main attractions have... moved upstairs." She wasn't surprised by the puzzled look that Asura gave her, knowing that there was no way the asari could know what she referred to. "So... Have you sorted everything out that you needed to?"

Asura's face became more reserved as she nodded, slipping her hands into her dark coat pocket. "I have," she said. "I've collected what I needed and..." She paused. "Collected what I could from Lenelle's apartment."

The goofy anticipation that she had felt seconds ago evaporated into a cold sense of dread. "You shouldn't have gone on your own," Abby said immediately. "Asura, it could've been dangerous."

The Ardat Yakshi glanced at her but didn't seem too concerned at her tone. Instead, she shrugged and motioned to Abby to follow her. She didn't do so immediately but grimaced and stared at the asari's back. She found herself hoping with all her soul that she had done right in all of this, that she had truly made the right judgement about Asura.

_I'll keep an eye on her,_ she thought as Asura turned back to look at her, puzzled that she didn't follow. _It's my responsibility now._

"I'm coming," she said automatically and trotted the few steps to the asari's side. "Where are we going?"

Asura's features lost its mask as she smiled embarrassed and shrugged. "I don't know," she confessed. "I guess you've eaten and you've danced and you're actually tired..."

Abby made a dismissive gesture. "We can walk," she said. "Have you run into any trouble Asura? I mean, there were still mercenaries after you. I can't imagine that they'd just stop now that Lenelle's dead."

The asari's face hardened as she shrugged and looked around them. "I'm ready for them as I have been the past year," she said coldly, her voice sounding more like the angry killer's. "They can come." Abby didn't know what to say but found herself looking down at her feet as it dawned on her that if she went with Asura the mercenary's pursuit would become her reality too.

"Well," she said. "We shouldn't tempt fate. Where are you going from here? Do you have a destination in mind yet?"

Asura's features didn't soften as she nodded though the way she took a moment to reply made Abby realize that she was gathering her courage. "I'm going home," she said. "I...need to sort things out."

She blinked at her and mouthed the word home, images of the estate on Tetra immediately coming to mind. She shivered when she remembered how they had been attacked and reached out to take Asura's hand.

"Please," she said. "Don't go alone – Asura, that's like... Being a sitting duck." When the asari frowned at the phrase she backtracked. "You'll be an easy target. That's... Just... wait."

Asura's gaze was painful as she shook her head. "Maon, the turian you met on Banrio, is going with me along with some members of his squad who knows how to keep their mouth shut," she said. "I have resources Abby – I'm not stupid. But, I want to get that cleared up, to bury my family properly before I attempt to restart my life. You have no idea how hard this year has been. I have not settled, I have not given myself time to..." She trailed off and closed her eyes. "I need to do this. I know you think it's stupid but I don't care. I'll be fine."

Pressing her chest to try and sooth the ache in it, Abby grimaced and shook her head. "I don't think you should go Asura," she said. "But I realize it's important for you."

The Ardat Yakshi smiled at her but there was no humour in her eyes. She took a steadying breath as they reached the main floor of Omega, her eyes automatically scanning the area for any danger. "I build a life there," she said softly. "Not one that was particularly satisfying, but one I could live for. One I could live. My first... victim had been the first person I ever loved. We were young, exploring. I had no idea..." She sighed and didn't go into details. "After it happened my father retired from her seat in council, returning home to try and make it all go away." Her tone was bitter. "There aren't many options for my kind and no cure. My mother couldn't bare the idea of me going into seclusion so... my father hid me. She erased me. I felt as if I had no identity. Nothing. Everything wasn't mine. Until my sister came..." She gave Abby a bitter smile. "My father didn't want any more children, she didn't want to try for another because she was terrified that they'll have another monster. So my mother went to a turian whom she had met a couple of years before. At that point, I had been her only companion for years, never really leaving the estate save for on the odd trip with my father. I didn't like the idea in the beginning but then Risha was born and... it changed everything." She swallowed but didn't look as if she was about to start crying when she turned back to Abby. "So you see, I want to close off that part of my life. To give it the proper closure. My sister had been my future. I thought that if I could protect her, treat her like... Give her the life that I would've wanted, then I would have some semblance of happiness." She smiled sadly. "And I was right to an extent. Risha was... such a joy." She sighed and dropped her gaze.

Abby grimaced as she reached out to touch her, carefully entwining her fingers with Asura's. "I'm sorry," she said again and meant it. "I know how devastating that was. I really am sorry Asura." She stopped walking, forcing Asura to stop with her. She was about to pull the asari closer when a voice spoke behind them.

"And I'm sorry for breaking up such a touching story." It was a turian who spoke and when Abby turned around, she recognized him. She could tell immediately that Asura was ready to attack him so she quickly tightened her hold on her hand and stepped between them.

"He's one of Aria's," she said quickly, hoping that it was enough to warn off the asari. "Don't attack him." Her mouth was dry suddenly. "I know why he's here."

Asura stiffened and turned to Abby, caution clear in her eyes. "What's this about?" she said. "What business do you have with Aria?"

Abby had to take a deep breath as a shiver passed through her. "A debt to be paid," she said softly and turned to Asura. "I asked her to help me find you. In exchange for information." She turned back to the turian whom she could swear was smirking at her. "You... you better come along. I think you should hear this as well."

* * *

><p><strong>It was different this time.<strong>

There was a rawness in Samara as their minds melded, a fierceness in the way she caressed Jane's body in the moment in which they became one. It felt as if her whole life was wrapped up in a second and spread across an eternity. Then, it was wrapped up again and made anew as she felt Samara's life, her thousand years of existence, pressed against her own... There was joy, and sorrow and hate and anger and love and pleasure...

When they were done and they lay in each other's arms, Jane stared at her lover and realized that more had happened in this moment that she could comprehend. That all the time she had left to her would not be enough to detangle the emotions that Samara had shared with her. One thing was certain though; there was one golden thread in the ball of messy emotional yarn.

"I love you."

She was surprised when Samara said the words first. "I will always love you Jane Shepard. You are the first thing that I think of in the morning and the last I wish to think about at night. No words or deeds could ever be enough to show you what I feel for you. I did not think that I could feel this again. I don't think I've ever felt it."

_What do you say to that?_ Jane thought as she stared at her and then allowed the Justicar to pull her into her arms. _How do you do such a confession justice? _

"I don't want to do this without you," Jane whispered. "I don't think I can."

Samara's grip around her tightened as the asari pulled her as close to her body as she could and pressed a kiss against her forehead.

"I know that you are wrong."

* * *

><p><strong>Abby imagined a tremor on her hands but when she stared at them they were completely still.<strong> She swallowed and looked to Asura, hoping to catch her eye but the asari was staring straight ahead of her, all of her attention focused on Aria T'Loak. If the asari matriarch felt uncomfortable under her stare she didn't show it. Instead, her full attention was on Abby, her finger slowly tapping her lip as she studied her.

"Let me get this straight," she said and stood up abruptly, slowly moving towards her. Asura shifted immediately which made Aria pause and the guards behind them pick up their weapons. There was a moment in which Abby held her breath but when she realized that Aria wasn't going to move any further she relaxed.

"You say that you come from another universe, another parallel dimension?"

Abby grimaced and wished that Asura would look at her. "I don't know if it's parallel," she pointed out. "It's... Well... _This_ dimension isn't real in my world. You are all..."

Aria waved her hand dismissively and sat down again. "Yes yes yes," she said. "Characters in some game called..." She chuckled. "Mass Effect. And _you_ ended up here because you tried to commit suicide. You think you died." She sounded patronizing which immediately made Abby angry.

"You don't believe me," she said. "It's true, I'm not joking Aria."

As if to prove her wrong, the asari chuckled. "Of course," she said. "This is hardly a joke woman." She glanced at Asura who had still not moved. Not an inch. Abby found herself looking towards the Ardat Yakshi again, wishing that she'd at least look at her. _Please._ "But it is an interesting story."

Abby's stomach sank. "You don't believe me," she said again. To her surprise though, Aria held up her hand and shook her head.

"I didn't say that _dear,_" she pointed out. "I believe that you believe that. That that is the only reality in your mind." She glanced at Asura. "And I know this because she hasn't looked at you once. She's probably _remembered_ some of your memories. Saw your version of your world. She's now made sense of something she's been debating for a long time." She turned a sweet smile on Asura who glared at her.

"She hasn't lied," she said. "She's telling the truth. I've seen it." She turned to glance at Abby for the first time though didn't look in her direction long enough for them to make eye contact.

_Oh thank goodness,_ Abby thought at first relieved that Asura seemed to have accepted it but then started worrying about what discussion that they might have after this.

"Again," Aria's tone suddenly lost some of its patience. "I never said that I thought she lied." Her gaze returned to Abby's. "You really are lost, aren't you?"

She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. "I know where I am," Abby said, unable to keep her defensive tone at bay. "And I know where I came from." She glanced at Asura. "And heaven wiling, know where I'm going. I'm not lost."

Aria chuckled and shrugged. "Well said," she pointed out. "But you're wrong. You think you know where you came from but I don't believe that that is the truth. I don't think this universe that you spoke of exists. I'm sorry my dear, but you are suffering from a delusion." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "A strong one."

Abby stared at her, still not sure what to say. _It's real,_ she thought. _My world is real. This is the one that isn't._ She wanted to leave but didn't know how to excuse herself from the asari's presence.

"How do you think this happened?" She was surprised that Asura spoke. "Have you encountered something like this before?"

Aria raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "I've seen many things," she said. "Though I'll say her story is a first. Honestly my dear? I don't know how it happened and, quite frankly, I don't care." She sat back and smiled at Abby, daring her to say something.

The vet had to swallow and found herself clinging to her old memories for support. "If you don't care," she pointed out. "Can I go? I would hate to waste your time."

Aria shrugged and waved them off. "Sure," she said. "I have work to do. Dr. Gable, thank you for a very interesting story. I'm sorry that you are delusional. That must be very hard. Tell me where will you go now? Back to Shepard?" She glanced at Asura. "Back to her?"

Unbidden, the two of them shared a look. Abby bit her lip and nodded, moving closer to her asari. "I'm going with Asura," she said with confidence. "Though I'm going to be with Shepard for the next week or two." She added the last to tell Asura that if she needed more time to digest all of this then she was welcome to it.

Aria nodded thoughtfully and turned to Asura. "And you?" she said. "Where will _you_ go? Now that you have your prize in hand."

Abby saw the flash of anger that crossed Asura's features so she quickly reached out and took her hand. It gave her a moment to take a breath and school her features to calm. "I have to admit that I haven't thought about it," she said. "That's why she's not going with me immediately."

Aria nodded and stood up again, slowly moving towards them, taking a data pad from her table. "Then I have a proposition for you," she said. "And you can take these two weeks of absence to think about it." She turned to Abby. "One of the things that are desperately short on Omega is vets. Now, if you have enough skill from your delusion to pass as one I can get your paperwork sorted and help you open a practice up here. You seem like a clever girl, I'm sure with the right reading you can easily be brought up to speed with how things work here. And, frankly, there's enough strays here to practice on." She smiled coldly. "I'll even give you a head start and not charge you rent for the first year."

The offer didn't make Abby as happy as it should've had it come from anybody else. "I don't think..."

Aria held up her hand. "Don't be stupid," she snapped. "_Think_ about it. I'm not asking you to accept this minute. There is a lot I can offer you, both of you." She looked at Asura. "Starting now, I can make sure that the mercenaries back away from you. I'll even send a squad with you to your home as a gesture of faith for good future relations."

Abby felt Asura's hand tighten in hers. "I will not be used," she growled at Aria. "I won't work for you and neither will she."

Aria shrugged and smiled at Abby. "That's up to her," she said. "And, you've made it very clear what happens to people who try to use you, child." It was strange to hear somebody call Asura a child, but then – Abby figured at Aria had at least 600 years on her... "I don't want to use either of you, but I want to keep an eye on you. I'll be frank," she turned back to Asura, "I think that your bond mate here is an experiment set loose. And, at some point her masters are going to come to collect the data that she's been gathering. I want to see who it is. And don't protest Dr. Gable, you can't trust your memories. They can be changed. And, as for you," her gaze turned back to Asura and there was something very dangerous in it. "You know as well as I do that someone has to keep an eye on you. I don't need another of your kind terrorizing Omega."

Abby clenched Asura's hand and glared at the asari. "You didn't do anything about Samara's daughter," she pointed out. "Quote, unquote: She hasn't tried to seduce me..."

Aria's mouth thinned. "No," she said. "But, I'd have done something if it got out of hand. And eventually," she looked to Asura. "It always does."

When they didn't reply, she turned back to her couch and sat down. "I don't expect you to answer me immediately," she said. "Take time to consider my offer. Believe it or not, you need me. Both of you."

They stared at her for a long time until Abby eventually shifted and pulled Asura with her. "Let's go," she said, not even bothering to ask for leave again. "Please Asura."

The Ardat Yakshi took longer to convince to move, her hands clenched in her sides. Feeling a distinct tremor in her hands this time, Abby pulled harder. "Please Asura, let's go." She didn't think that she'd be able to but she finally managed to pull her towards the stairs. When they turned their backs on Aria, it was clear that they could both feel her satisfied stare and, although it was drowned out by the club noises, Abby was pretty sure that Aria laughed when they were out of earshot.

* * *

><p><strong>She wasn't surprised that Asura took her directly back to the Normandy, her body stiff as she stared right in front of her.<strong> Abby had to swallow against the tight knot of anxiety in her chest. She tried to reach out to touch the asari but found herself hesitating and drew back her hand. Instead, just as they were about to turn towards the Normandy, she stopped and waited. Asura took several steps before she stopped and turned around, giving Abby a confused look.

Abby grimaced and took a steadying breath.

"I'm not an experiment Asura," she said. "I'm real. My memories are real." _They are too painful not to be_.

The asari looked at her then relaxed and turned back to come to her. She came and gave Abby a hug, enfolding her and pulling her against her.

"I know," she said. "I know that you're who you say you are. I have never doubted that. If Aria is correct and there will be people who come for you, I will kill them all. I'll fight for you for as long as you want me to."

Her words were simple and violent but she meant them. Abby, still pressed against her, closed her eyes and felt whole again for the first time since she realized her partner was willing to leave her and not look back. She didn't say anything but returned Asura's hug, wishing suddenly that they could meld right now so that she could show her what she felt. The thought surprised her immediately as she tried to consider the consequences. _What did it mean to meld with an asari? Really and truly without being forced? _

"Let's go," Asura said finally and relaxed her grip. "I'll see you in a week or two Abby, I promise. We'll figure things out then. With Aria and everything else."

Gathering herself, allowing Asura to pull her forward, Abby slipped her arm into the asari's.

"Are you considering Aria's offer?" she queried softly, causing Asura to shrug uncomfortably.

"She is powerful," she pointed out. "And, if there's one thing we can be assured of is that she plays her own games. Even Lenelle was cautious of her though, then again, she was cautious of Lenelle as well if she was to be believed. She knew more of this than she led on. I think she knew Lenelle and who she worked for. If we can get close to her, we can find out who it was that started all of this."

She didn't say it, but Abby could sense it, her need for revenge, to get at the heart of who had caused all of this. She sighed and chose not to say anything, knowing that it wasn't something that was going to go away overnight. _I can work with this,_ she thought as the Normandy came into view. _When given time, even the worst wounds can heal._

She was surprised to see the Normandy's airlock open before they reached it and froze when she saw who was leaving. Samara stepped into view, having changed out of the dress that she was wearing and donned in her full, black Justicar outfit. She had a satchel slung around her shoulders and had her head down, her face serene as she considered the ground. Asura saw her and stiffened as Abby took her hand and pulled her out of the Justicar's path. Samara looked up while she walked and saw them but didn't react immediately though she slowed down.

"Dr. Gable," Samara said as she stopped completely, inclining her head ever so slightly in Abby's direction. "Asura."

Abby tried to act calmly as she glanced around to see if Shepard might be following the asari. "Samara," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Are you leaving?"

The Justicar nodded. "Yes," she said simply. "My duty has to take me elsewhere." She looked at Asura but didn't say anything else. Asura didn't reply, her hand tight in Abby's, leaving it up to the vet to say something.

"I didn't know you were going," she said softly. "I'm sorry."

Samara merely nodded and for a moment Abby thought that she was going to leave but then she turned to Asura. "I have given my word that I won't touch you now," she said. "And I will honour this because I honour the person to whom I swore that oath. But know this, if I find out that you have continued on the path that your kind is destined to walk, I will find a way around it." She looked at Abby. "Humans live for a very short time. A blink of an eye." She turned back Asura. "When they leave us, they take their word and their oaths with them."

Asura didn't blink as she looked at Samara. "When that day comes and you find me on that road Justicar," she said and, to Abby's surprise, bowed deeply. "I will await your company. And welcome it."

Samara nodded and left without another word, her back straight as she walked away from the Normandy.

_Jane,_ Abby thought as her heart ached not only for the Justicar but for Asura. She turned back to the asari with her and gave her a weak smile though her heart wasn't in it.

"Don't worry," she said softly. "I'll live to be a hundred."

Asura didn't blink but smiled at her as she pulled her close to her again.

"I pray to the Goddess that you will. And," she smiled. "That you'll choose to come with me when I come back."

Abby grinned at her and took her hand, slowly walking back to the Normandy.

"We'll have to wait and see," she said with a smile. "But I don't see why not."

* * *

><p><strong>She must've dosed off, because when she woke up – Samara was gone.<strong> Jane lay in her bed, her hand trailing to the space where the asari had been; trying to figure out what woke her. She thought that Samara might be in the bathroom but when she closed her eyes, she heard nothing. Opening her eyes again, she pushed herself up slowly, ignoring the ache in her shoulder and looked around her room. Her heart started beating loudly when she realized that Samara's clothes weren't there.

"EDI," she said immediately, her mouth dry as she stood up and wrapped her bed sheet around her. "Where's Samara?"

The AI took a long time to reply. "EDI," Jane said again, unable to keep the panic from her voice. "EDI, where's Samara? Is she still on the Normandy?"

When the AI finally answered her voice surprisingly soft and filled with regret. "No Commander," she said. "She's not."

"No," Jane breathed and rushed to her discarded clothes. "When did she leave? Can you see where she went on Omega?"

She threw off her sheet and started getting dressed as quickly as she could.

"She's gone Jane," EDI said. "She left an hour ago. She headed straight off of Omega."

Her hands started shaking as she continued to pull on her clothes, an ache unlike anything she had ever felt before – including her death – stabbing through her chest. "Try and stop her," she said. "Contact all the ships that left, tell them that by the order of a council Spectre they are... They have to come back; they have to bring her back."

The AI paused for a long time, giving her chance to reach her shoes and start to pull them on. "I can't do that Jane," she said finally, softly. "I'm sorry."

"Damn it!" Jane cursed as she hurled the one shoe across the room. "Damn it EDI! Why did you let her go? Why?" The pain in her chest spread to her throat and when she squeezed her eyes shut she felt hot tears trailing down her cheeks. _Damn you Miranda, why can I still cry?_ "Why didn't you stop her?"

"I couldn't Jane," she said. "I'm sorry. She said to tell you that she's sorry."

"No," Jane breathed as she sank to her knees, unable to accept that she knew it was useless to try and pursue the Justicar. She was too smart and she knew Shepard too well. "No EDI, I... No." She bent over, clutching her chest, the pain in it unbearable. She could still feel the after effects of their melding, the unfolding ball of emotions that was Samara's. When she closed her eyes, she pressed her palms against them, unable to stop the tight breath that escaped her lips. She could feel Samara's pain and she knew suddenly that the asari had known that she would leave the moment Jane told her not to go after Asura. It had been inevitable.

Jane did what she had to do to stay true to herself and Samara had to leave in order to stay true to her code.

Opening her mouth in a silent scream, Jane held her chest and then bit her tongue to try and stop herself from crying. It was impossible and, unable to help herself; she started rocking on her knees - her body shaking.

"I'm sorry Jane," she heard EDI say, her voice filled with true regret. "I truly am sorry."

**The End of A Degeneration in Mass. **

_AN: And, that's it. This chapter is longer than the others, for I wanted to keep it in a unity. There wasn't any logical place for me to break it – so I decided to continue it as is. If it had to have an 'End Credits' song, it would be to Within Temptation's The Last Dance from their album 'The Unforgiving.' You can find the link in my profile. _

_Thank you for reading, thank you for your reviews. I did not think that this would become what it is. I hadn't thought that I would finish it and I wouldn't have had it not been for you. So, thank you. And to AlyssC01, without whom this would not have been. _

_There will be a sequel, I promise. _


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